Allahabad HC Issues Contempt Notice To Bareilly Officials For Stopping Namaz At Private Property
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 February 2026
The Allahabad High Court | Sanjay Kanojia/AFP
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· Allahabad HC issues contempt notice to Bareilly officials for stopping namaz at private property
· Israel police to deploy around Al-Aqsa for Ramadan, Palestinians report curbs
· Muslim World League chief addresses hate, human dignity at George Washington University
· Ramadan in Manchester: Mosques and Restaurants Unite to Serve Community and Share the Spirit of Islam
· Florida Congressman Faces Backlash After Tweet Suggesting Dogs being preferable Than Muslims
· 100 US troops arrive in Nigeria to tackle Islamists
· Malaysia: Minister Armizan Mohd Ali Says Ethnic and Religious Celebrations Strengthen National Unity
· Jamaat-led alliance, independent, and Islami Andolan MPs take oath in Bangladesh
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India
· ‘Mohammad’ Deepak and Prabhavathi Amma are India’s heroes. They shake us out of our cynicism
· Three detainees, including two Pakistani nationals, escape juvenile home in Jammu after firing at cops
· Bengal polls: Humayun Kabir says no to Siddiqui’s ISF, yes to Owaisi’s AIMIM
· Jammu & Kashmir tourism spots to reopen months after Pahalgam terror attack
· Assam CM raises concern over rising Muslim population, cites Bangladesh infiltration as biggest challenge
· Kova bun seller was harassed by YouTubers over ‘food jihad’ claims. Then, Andhra minister Nara Lokesh rallied behind him
· Parbhani mayor pick 'reward for Muslims' support to UBT'
· Madhya Pradesh HC to hear Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex dispute case on February 18
· Bihar to ban open sales of meat
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Mideast
· Prosecutors plan to charge Israeli settler with killing Palestinian activist in West Bank
· A look at Ramadan and how Muslims observe the holy month
· Lebanon says army to take at least 4 months for next stage of Hezbollah disarmament plan
· FIFA president Infantino celebrates in Beirut after receiving a Lebanese passport
· The Damascus book fair draws crowds, with censorship eased in post-Assad Syria
· Syrian authorities seize anti-tank missiles intended for smuggling
· Al-Sharaa meets Arab intellectuals at Damascus book fair
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Arab World
· SR 4.5bn raised from 135m donations through the Saudi Ehsan charity platform in 2025
· Jeddah governor attends ceremony marking Kuwait National Day
· Saudi volunteers pack aid as KSrelief steps up help for Gaza
· Saudi photographer brings Madinah into focus
· Arabian hare returns to Saudi Arabia
· Saudi arts panel explores heritage at Damascus fair
· Haramain high-speed train preparation for Ramadan
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Europe
· No evidence 75% of England’s mayors are Muslim
· Azerbaijan announces ‘740 Muslim cemeteries’ in Armenia
· Germany’s break with Russia left it hooked on expensive US gas – AfD
· Organisation collects Ramadan parcels for inmates
· Please explain: Hanson lashed for anti-Islamic vitriol
· Office set to be turned into Islamic community centre
· Two Ipswich mosques to open Ramadan Iftar meals to people of all faiths
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North America
· CAIR-Texas Calls on Elected Officials to Condemn Harassment of Praying Muslims in Plano
· CAIR Calls on Congressional Leaders to Demand Randy Fine’s Resignation After Latest Racist Comments
· CAIR-Texas Calls on Texas ICE Facilities to Ensure Ramadan Accommodations for Muslim Detainees and Offers Partnership
· TODAY: CAIR, Community Partners to Hold 2026 Maryland Muslim Lobby Day Marking Historic Launch of Legislative Muslim Caucus
· Texas Gov. Abbott, HUD investigating Islamic community in north Texas
· Rubio baffled by Western war cheerleaders
· Orban vital for US ‘national interest’ – Rubio
· US build-up of warships and fighter jets tracked near Iran
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Africa
· Boko Haram Commander, Soldiers Killed During Fierce Gun Battle In Borno
· Gunmen Abduct JIBWIS Chief Imam’s Relatives In Bauchi
· Moroccan lawyers end strike after government backs down on reform bill
· Drone attack on Sudan market kills 28: rights group
· Replacing Shettima With Northern Christian Candidate Could Spell Doom For Tinubu – Salihu Mahmud
· Tinubu Demands Machar’s Release, Urges Swift South Sudan Peace Deal
· Nigerian Army Neutralises Two Suspected Terrorists, Recovers AK-47 In Ondo Operation
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Southeast Asia
· Jakarta Orders Nightlife Closures During Ramadan
· Amid Bersatu implosion, PAS deputy president pushes Malay-Muslim unity
· Umno Youth chief: MACC chief Azam Baki should take temporary leave, independent oversight needed for probe
· PM Anwar vows to work harder, make better policies for all Malaysians in Year of the Horse
· ‘Unity and prosperity’: Sabahans throng 2026 state CNY celebration with Musa Aman, Hajiji
· Chinese New Year celebrated joyfully nationwide in spirit of unity
· PM Anwar urges conservation of 100-year-old KLSCAH building
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South Asia
· Afghanistan, Uzbekistan Sign $300 Million Trade Agreements
· Iraq Says 25 Afghans Among ISIS Prisoners Transferred from Syria
· Pakistan UN Envoy: Kabul Must Choose Between Peace or Isolation
· Fair Prices as Holy Month of Ramadan Arrives
· Empowering Local Industries: How Small Enterprises Drive Afghanistan’s Economic Growth
· The Environmental, Geopolitical Dimensions of the Climate Crisis in Afghanistan
· Soviet Withdrawal: Lessons from a Painful Chapter in Afghan History
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Allahabad HC issues contempt notice to Bareilly officials for stopping namaz at private property
February 17, 2026
The Allahabad High Court | Sanjay Kanojia/AFP
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The Allahabad High Court has issued contempt notices to Bareilly District Magistrate Avinash Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya for allegedly preventing members of the Muslim community from offering namaz inside a private home in Mohammadganj village, The Times of India reported on Tuesday.
On Thursday, a bench of Justices Atul Shreedharan and Siddharth Nandan initiated proceedings under the 1971 Contempt of Courts Act and stayed coercive action against petitioner Tarik Khan.
The court has sought responses from the district magistrate and the police officer on March 11 when it will next hear the matter.
The dispute relates to an incident on January 16, when a group of Muslims were stopped while offering prayers inside a vacant house owned by a woman Reshma Khan. Several Muslim men were detained and four persons had been arrested for allegedly disturbing public order by gathering there, and were later released.
Reshma Khan said that she had permitted the gathering and that the prayers had been held within the premises.
The petitioners had approached the High Court, citing its January 27 ruling in a separate matter that no permission is needed for holding a religious prayer meeting on a private property in Uttar Pradesh as long as the activity was within its premises.
The ruling had come on a plea by Christian organisations who had sought permission to conduct prayer meetings inside private premises.
The court had said that if a gathering has to “spill over the public road or public property”, the police must be informed and, if needed, permissions need to be secured.
Tarik Khan, the petitioner in the case pertaining to the gathering in Mohammadganj, said that the January 27 order had clarified that prayers could be offered within a private property, The Times of India reported.
“We too are a minority, so the same rule should apply to us,” he said. “So far, we have been protected by the court’s stay, and that is why we resumed our prayers from the house.”
Tensions in Mohammadganj
Meanwhile, tensions have risen in Mohammadganj, where some Hindu residents objected to the Friday prayers having resumed at the house, The Times of India reported.
Five families painted “house for sale” on the walls of their homes, alleging that weekly prayer meetings were being organised in private premises and expressed concern that the properties could eventually be converted into permanent places of worship, the newspaper reported.
A representation was also submitted to Chief Minister Adityanath seeking his intervention in the matter.
The senior superintendent of police was quoted as saying that the situation was under control and that no coercive action had been taken.
“We have never interfered with religious practices as long as they do not violate established norms,” The Times of India quoted him as saying. “Our concern is only to ensure that no residential property is clandestinely converted into a notified place of public worship without due process.”
Source: scroll.in
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Israel police to deploy around Al-Aqsa for Ramadan, Palestinians report curbs
February 17, 2026
A Palestinian man wears a face mask to protect him from the dust as he walks past the Dome of the Rock mosque in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, in the old city of Jerusalem on February 14, 2026. (AFP)
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JERUSALEM: Israeli police said Monday that they would deploy in force around the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins this week, as Palestinian officials accused Israel of imposing restrictions at the compound.
Over the course of the month of fasting and prayer, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Al-Aqsa — Islam’s third-holiest site, located in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed.
Arad Braverman, a senior Jerusalem police officer, said forces would be deployed “day and night” across the compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, and in the surrounding area.
He said thousands of police would also be on duty for Friday prayers, which draw the largest crowds of Muslim worshippers.
Braverman said police had recommended issuing 10,000 permits for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem.
He did not say whether age limits would apply, adding that the final number of people would be decided by the government.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said in a separate statement it had been informed that permits would again be restricted to men over 55 and women over 50, mirroring last year’s criteria.
It said Israeli authorities had blocked the Islamic Waqf — the Jordanian?run body administering the site — from carrying out routine preparations, including installing shade structures and setting up temporary medical clinics.
A Waqf source confirmed the restrictions and said 33 of its employees had been barred from entering the compound in the week before Ramadan.
The Al-Aqsa compound is a central symbol of Palestinian identity and also a frequent flashpoint.
Under long?standing arrangements, Jews may visit the compound — which they revere as the site of their second temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD — but they are not permitted to pray there.
Israel says it is committed to maintaining this status quo, though Palestinians fear it is being eroded.
Braverman reiterated Monday that no changes were planned.
In recent years, a growing number of Jewish ultranationalists have challenged the prayer ban, including far?right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who prayed at the site while serving as national security minister in 2024 and 2025.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2633283/middle-east
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Muslim World League chief addresses hate, human dignity at George Washington University
February 16, 2026
Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa delivers a lecture at George Washington University in Washington, DC. (Supplied)
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RIYADH: Muslim World League Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa recently delivered a lecture at George Washington University in Washington, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
It was followed by a discussion on “the general concept of hatred” and “a comprehensive definition of hostility toward followers of religions and ethnicities that undermines their dignity, humanity, and rights.”
The MWL chief was hosted by George Washington University President Ellen M. Granberg in the presence of academics, students, and representatives of research centers.
In his address, Al-Issa emphasized that human dignity is a foundational principle of Islamic values and any violation is strictly prohibited by Islamic Shariah.
He underscored Islam’s stance toward people of all faiths and races, highlighting its unwavering rejection of contemptuous and racist practices, reflecting enduring Islamic values.
Al-Issa said anyone who failed to respect the humanity of others was, in a sense, hating themselves, whether they realized it or not, and stressed that humanity, in its shared origin, is indivisible.
He cited the Qur’anic verse: “And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam” (Qur’an 17:70), affirming the Islamic belief in every individual’s inherent right to dignity, without discrimination or hierarchy.
He further described hatred as a dangerous set of negative emotions that often escalates into racist behavior.
Addressing hatred at its roots, Al-Issa said, requires early prevention across all platforms of influence, especially families and educational institutions, so that awareness becomes instinctive, surpassing the impact of laws, which remain crucial.
He stressed that combating hatred is a shared international responsibility grounded in solidarity, the SPA reported.
Last week, bipartisan members of the US Congress honored Al-Issa at the Capitol in Washington in recognition of the league’s efforts to combat hate and promote religious coexistence.
Members of the House and Senate signed a certificate praising the MWL’s role in strengthening social cohesion and countering racism and hate-driven narratives.
Commenting on the honor, Al-Issa said the efforts being recognized reflected Islamic values that call for global peace and harmony within societies.
He reaffirmed the MWL’s commitment to promoting constructive dialogue and cooperation to foster greater understanding and awareness.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2633211/saudi-arabia
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Ramadan in Manchester: Mosques and Restaurants Unite to Serve Community and Share the Spirit of Islam
Ramazani Mwamba
16 Feb 2026
Abdillahi Muhammad(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
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It's lunchtime in Rusholme and a handful of men find refuge from the bitter Manchester weather inside their local mosques.
Inside, you find them dotted around the Alfurqan Islamic Centre Manchester on Great Southern Street, some making up for missed prayers, others have their heads buried deep in the Qur'an.
Buzzing around the meditative worshippers is Abdillahi Muhammed. The 46-year-old is part of the management group for the mosque and the last few days have been about preparing for one of their busiest periods of the year.
"We feed about 300 people," he explained to the M.E.N. "It's a range of people, men who live alone, students, families and asylum seekers. The food is free and a lot of it is provided by people from the community.
"It's the vibe and environment that attracts people. They feel that community and togetherness, it's a different type of feeling that you can't explain."
The occasion that Abdillahi is referring to is iftar, which is the time of day in which those taking part in the month of Ramadan can finally eat after around 12 hours of abstaining from any food or drink.
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan will see millions across the world partake in 30 days of fasting, worshipping and charitable acts which culminates in a large prayer and festival known as Eid-al-Fitr.
But before celebrations can begin, Abdillahi and the mosque's task is to serve the community the best they can this month.
"Logistically we're focused on ground control, security, health and safety," he said.
"Spiritually, we remind people about the essence of Ramadan, why we are fasting. It's about your character and your behaviour.
"We remind people to present people Islam in the best way. This is a good time to get rid of your bad habits and if you can't stay away from it for 30 days, then you can do it for longer."
A few minutes away from the quiet Great Southern Street is the Curry Mile. Lively on the best of days, this is the location where most Muslim families will be heading to when it's time to break their fast.
In the previous years, Ramadan has fallen in the summer months of the Gregorian calendar, meaning that restaurants have often had to adjust opening hours to accommodate late iftar times. This year however, the calendar is kinder, with iftar time likely to fall in between dinner time.
Nonetheless, but for Mo Khader, owner of Jafra, a restaurant that specialises in Palestinian cuisine, there's still a pressure for the food spots.
"Ramadan is a nice atmosphere," he told the M.E.N, "People meet here and break fast together, it's beautiful to see.
"There's more pressure for restaurants this time of year, almost all the Muslim community will be here at the exact same time. They all want to sit down, praise God, and start eating within the same minute."
Despite the pressure, he's hoping for a better turnout than last year as a business owner.
He told the M.E.N: "It wasn't that good last year. There just wasn't that many people coming out.
"I think this year it's going to be different; the timings might help us. It's starting during the school holidays, people will be breaking fast at around 5:30, they won't have time to cook home.
"They'll leave their jobs and hopefully go to restaurants now."
Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
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https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/we-remind-people-present-people-33436804
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Florida Congressman Faces Backlash After Tweet Suggesting Dogs being preferable Than Muslims
February 16, 2026
ORMOND BEACH, FLORIDA - APRIL 01: Florida's Republican state Sen. Randy Fine speaks with the media after winning the 6th District race to replace GOP former Rep. Michael Waltz, who is now President Donald Trump’s national security adviser on April 01, 2025 in Ormond Beach, Florida. Mr. Fine beat his Democratic opponent, Josh Weil. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON (TNND) — Florida GOP Rep. Randy Fine faced backlash over the weekend for a post on X where he implied dogs were preferable to Muslims.
He added context in a second post where he shared a screenshot of a tweet that reads, “Finally, NYC is coming to Islam. Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we’ve said all along, they are unclean.”
Fine said that Nerdeen Kiswani, the writer of that tweet, was part of a Muslim group that supported New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said Fine’s post was “disgusting bigotry.”
“We must call this what it is,” he wrote on X Monday. “Disgusting bigotry. Fine must be censured. It's about morality and decency, not politics.”
Fine requested a debate in response.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper quote-tweeted Fine’s post and just said, “Disgusting bigotry.”
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly weighed in on Fine’s tweet and wrote, “wtf is this.”
Fine has been responding to people critical of his post with a picture of a dog saying “Don’t Tread On Me.”
Fine represents the 6th Congressional District. He was elected in 2025 during a special election to fill former Rep. Mike Waltz's seat.
Source: cbsaustin.com
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100 US troops arrive in Nigeria to tackle Islamists
February 17, 2026
About 100 US military personnel have arrived in Nigeria as Washington scales up an operation to target Islamist insurgents, a Nigerian defence spokesperson said.
US President Donald Trump has accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants in the northwest.
Nigeria denied discriminating against any religion, saying its security forces target armed groups that attack Christians and Muslims.
The US carried out strikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in December, and a small US military team has been operating on the ground to boost Nigeria’s intelligence capabilities.
In recent days, several planes carrying US troops and equipment have headed to Nigeria’s northern states, according to flight tracking data reviewed by Reuters.
Maj-Gen Samaila Uba, spokesperson for Nigeria’s defence headquarters, said the troops would train and advise local forces but not take part in combat.
Earlier this month, Nigeria’s military said it expected around 200 more US troops.
Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare said Nigeria needed “massive support from the US government” in terms of fighter jets and munitions but declined to give numbers or a timeframe.
Nigeria’s 240-million people are evenly split between Christians, mainly in the south, and Muslims, mainly in the north.
It acknowledged serious security problems, including from Islamist fighters, but denied Christians face widespread or systematic persecution.
Source: timeslive.co.za
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https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/africa/2026-02-17-100-us-troops-arrive-in-nigeria-to-tackle-islamists/
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Malaysia: Minister Armizan Mohd Ali Says Ethnic and Religious Celebrations Strengthen National Unity
17 Feb 2026
Domestic Trade Minister Armizan Mohd Ali says celebrations like Chinese New Year promote goodwill and strengthen unity, particularly in Sabah’s diverse communities.
KOTA KINABALU: Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali has highlighted ethnic and religious celebrations as vital platforms for fostering goodwill and national unity.
The Papar MP stated that differences in religion and ethnicity have never been a barrier to social harmony in Malaysia.
“We live in peace and harmony because we uphold the principle of mutual acceptance and respect,” he said in a Facebook post.
He noted that when the Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year, other communities join in, just as Chinese and Kadazan communities celebrate Aidilfitri with Bajau and Brunei friends.
Armizan shared that he visited his 87-year-old former barber, Lu Wong Siew, in Papar for the new year.
He recalled her cutting his hair throughout his school years and even preparing his late mother for her wedding decades ago.
“She is Chinese and I am a Bajau. These differences have never been an issue for us, nor for the Papar community as a whole,” he emphasised.
The minister urged the public to emulate the qualities of the Horse, celebrated for its agility, energy, and resilient spirit.
He called on everyone to embrace the spirit of the Fire Horse in their work and to continue safeguarding the nation’s peace, prosperity, and unity.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/ethnic-and-religious-celebrations-key/
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Jamaat-led alliance, independent, and Islami Andolan MPs take oath in Bangladesh
17 Feb 2026
Newly elected members of parliament from the Jamaat-led alliance, independent candidates and Islami Andolan Bangladesh took oath at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban this afternoon.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin administered the oath to the lawmakers, who were elected in the 13th Parliamentary Election held on February 12. The first oath began at 12:20pm.
According to sources present, two sentences of the oath were read in consultation with Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman.
During the ceremony, the six MPs of the National Citizen Party were not seen in the room.
After the signing formalities concluded, the second oath — as members of the Constitutional Reform Council — began at 12:26pm.
Independent MP Rumeen Farhana and BNP’s Ishraque Hossain were seen leaving the room during the second oath, as observed in the televised broadcast of the ceremony.
The oath-taking took place at the parliament complex amid continued political discussions over participation in the Constitutional Reform Council.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/governance/news/jamaat-led-alliance-independent-and-islami-andolan-mps-take-oath-4108216
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India
‘Mohammad’ Deepak and Prabhavathi Amma are India’s heroes. They shake us out of our cynicism
KARANJEET KAUR
17 February, 2026
When Deepak ‘Akki’ Kumar sprang to the defence of an old shopkeeper in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, he didn’t know he had taken a hammer to a pane of glass. It took five words—“Mera naam Mohammad Deepak Hai”— from the 42-year-old gym owner, in one of the most communally charged states in India, for a hairline fracture to slowly spread across the surface. That surface is the seasoned understanding that individual courage has no place in our society.
Two and a half weeks later, 2,500 kilometres south of Uttarakhand in Kozhikode, Kerala, Prabhavathi Amma dealt another hammer blow. She planted her feet on a footpath at the busy Eranjipaalam signal and refused to give way to a scooter rider trying to bypass traffic.
To understand why ‘Mohammad’ Deepak has captured our imagination, we have to understand what his courage cost. His fitness centre, Hulk Gym, is close to Vakeel Ahmed’s “Baba School Dress”, a shop that the 70-year-old Muslim man has operated for 30 years. On 26 January, a mob of 30-40 men claiming to be from Bajrang Dal descended at the shop, demanding that Ahmed change its name. “Baba”, they argued, was a Hindu religious term and it was presumably inimical for a Muslim man to use it.
Deepak intervened and told the aggressive crowd that everyone had a right to be treated equally in India. When they asked for his name, he anticipated the turn the confrontation was taking, and painted himself into posterity by announcing his name was Mohammed Deepak. In the process, however, he assumed the target which was painted on the Muslim shopkeeper’s back.
As has now become routine with such incidents, an FIR was lodged against Kumar. Cases have also been filed against “unidentified” men from the mob. Within days, a violent group showed up outside Kumar’s gym too and attempted to vandalise it. Thanks to the violence, the gym’s membership dwindled from 150 to 12. Female members, already nervous about the police barricades and the shouting protesters camping outside, disappeared entirely.
Death threats have come in from the Hindu Raksha Dal who called Kumar a “secular keeda” or secular insect, the kindest label among other unmentionable things. Meanwhile Bihar Police has arrested Utkarsh Singh, a man who had announced a Rs 2 lakh bounty for his murder on social media. It’s clear that these bodies wish to make an example of him—but the example he has already set is something else entirely.
Despite these expected reactions, Kumar broke something in the algorithm. It started with an outpouring of social media support for the man. John Brittas, Rajya Sabha MP from CPI(M) flew to Kotdwar and bought an annual gym membership—because Kumar refused donations and charity. Fifteen Supreme Court lawyers followed suit and bought memberships for local youth who couldn’t afford them. Several of them have also promised pro bono legal aid. It all led Rahul Gandhi to say: “We need more Deepaks, who won’t bow down, be afraid, and defend the Constitution… You’re a babbar sher.”
Prabhavathi Amma’s story has had a different trajectory, but is no less heartwarming. In the past, the 73-year-old had filed multiple complaints about riders using the Eranjipaalam footpath to dodge traffic. When the authorities did nothing, she became the enforcer. Her face-off with the scooter, captured by a social media influencer, finally caught the attention of Kerala’s Motor Vehicles Department. The body honoured her at her home with a ponnada, a shawl, and stripped the rider of his license. In the process, they validated the lesson Amma was trying to teach in the first place: The footpath belongs to pedestrians—someone just had to insist on it.
A refusal to accept status quo
Kumar and Amma remain the exceptions, which is exactly why they matter. In a country where collective complacency has calcified into a survival strategy, watching someone say “no” feels radical. They’ve inverted the “bystander effect”, while the rest of us have gawked on. As onlookers, we’re captivated because we’ve forgotten this was even possible.
Years of competitive displays of bigotry, parochialism, and lack of civic sense have congealed into an acceptance of the status quo. We’ve been lulled into believing that a concave point of view is safest: Turning inward, staying defensive, and not making a fuss.
The national discourse has trained us to obsess over enemies at the gates, while violations within our borders go unchallenged. Hating on Pakistan takes less courage than reclaiming a footpath. Filing an FIR against “unidentified men” is easier than naming the mob at your door. Our helplessness and desire for psychological safety has been weaponised against us. So we wear our cynicism as a badge of realism.
But every once in a while, a 73-year-old woman will rail against haplessness and kick up a fuss. A gym owner and his friend will stand up to rowdies. And if we are lucky, their courage will have a witness. That will make all the difference between what fades away and what causes a rupture. In watching someone’s stubbornness broadcast to us, we will be forced to reckon with our own capitulation.
The pattern appears in fragments elsewhere. The delivery worker who risked his life and dove into a water-filled construction pit to save a young software engineer, when no one else would. A band of local people who rallied to vouch for a poor Muslim food vendor, harassed by clout-chasing, ghoulish YouTubers. A spirited bunch that chased away a gang of Bajrang Dal members, armed with sticks, determined to harass couples celebrating Valentine’s Day. Small acts of big bravery—briefly viral, then forgotten—that share the same stubborn DNA: A refusal to accept that this is just how things are.
But a little bit of foolhardiness, it turns out, is essential for living. One person’s pig-headedness can turn into a contagion of possibility. In an uneasy country, radical hope is the last seditious act.
Source: theprint.in
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https://theprint.in/opinion/mohammad-deepak-prabhavathi-amma/2856233/
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Three detainees, including two Pakistani nationals, escape juvenile home in Jammu after firing at cops
Fayaz Wani
17 Feb 2026
SRINAGAR: Three detainees, including two Pakistani nationals, escaped from a juvenile home in Jammu on Monday after firing at police guarding the facility, injuring two cops.
Police have launched a massive manhunt to track down the trio and also started an investigation to ascertain how the inmates got hold of firearms.
According to police sources, the inmates fired at the two policemen inside the Juvenile Observation Home in RS Pura area of Jammu at around 5.05 pm. During the firing, two policemen were injured while the three inmates escaped.
Of the three detainees, two are Pakistani nationals, identified as Ahsan Anwar and Mohammad Sanaullah. The third escapee inmate has been identified as Karanjit Singh alias Gugga, a resident of R S Pura, Jammu.
The injured policemen, identified as Vinay Kumar and Praveen Kumar, were referred to nearby health centre, where from they were shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu for specialised treatment.
After the incident, police and paramilitary contingents and police officials visited the juvenile home to take stock of the situation.
The police and paramilitary personnel have launched a massive manhunt to track down the trio.
The security personnel have set up temporary checkpoints in the area and its adjoining areas, where all the vehicles and commuters are being thoroughly searched and their I-cards checked.
Police has also launched an investigation to ascertain how the detainees got hold of firearms in the juvenile home.
“It will be investigated how the firearms reached the juvenile home. It will be investigated who brought the firearms there and on whose directions,” sources said.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2026/Feb/16/three-detainees-including-two-pakistani-nationals-escape-juvenile-home-in-jammu-after-firing-at-cops
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Bengal polls: Humayun Kabir says no to Siddiqui’s ISF, yes to Owaisi’s AIMIM
Tanusree Bose
Feb 17, 2026
Ruling out any alliance with CPI(M) and Naushad Siddiqui’s Indian Secular Front (ISF), suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayan Kabir on Monday said that he will not have any tie-up with Congress either but will back former MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury if he decides to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
Speaking to mediapersons, Kabir, who recently launched his political party – Janata Unayan Party (JUP) – said, “The ISF is delaying the decision on seat sharing. They are trying to overplay me. Therefore, we are not sharing seats with the ISF as well as the CPI(M) for the same reason.”
He further stated that his party will also not ally with the Congress, and added, “We will support Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury if he stands from Behrampur. He is a great man. The support will be on an individual basis, and not to the Congress party.”
He, however, expressed confidence in forming an alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen). “I am confident that the AIMIM will be with me. Even some other parties will ally with me. That’s for sure. In the coming days, we are going to hold meetings with them,” said Kabir, who had earlier said that JUP will contest in over 130 Assembly seats.
Last year, the AIMIM had said it would contest all the seats “with full force” in West Bengal, claiming that Muslim population in the state was well over 40 per cent.
In the 2012 Assembly polls, AIMIM had contested six seats and secured only 10,852 votes in total.
Meanwhile, Kabir said that his party will field candidates in Bhabanipur and Nandigram, from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari traditionally contest.
Last week, after holding a yatra to mark the beginning of the construction work for a Babri replica mosque in Beldanga in Murshidabad, Kabir had said, “I will ensure that Mamata Banerjee loses elections, and the BJP also does not get to rule over Bengal. From the beginning, Mamata Banerjee and her administration kept posing problems in the building of the Babri Masjid along with some minority groups.”
His resolve to build a Babri Masjid-like mosque in Murshidabad had led to the suspension of 62-year-old TMC MLA last December. Kabir had started his political career with the Congress and rose to become an MLA, and later joined the TMC.
Source: indianexpress.com
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Jammu & Kashmir tourism spots to reopen months after Pahalgam terror attack
Muzaffar Raina
17.02.26
Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Monday ordered the reopening of 14 tourist spots in Jammu and Kashmir, closed since last year’s Pahalgam terror attack, following sustained demand from the tourism industry and chief minister Omar
Abdullah.
Eleven of the 14 places to be reopened are in the Kashmir division: Yousmarg and Doodhpathri in Budgam; Dandipora Park in Kokernag, Anantnag; Peer Ki Gali, Dubjan and Padpawan in Shopian; Astanpora and Tulip Garden in Srinagar; Thajwas Glacier and Hung Park in Ganderbal; and Wular-Watlab in Baramulla.
The three places to be reopened in the Jammu division are Devi Pindi in Reasi; Mahu Mangat in Ramban; and the Mughal Maidan in Kishtwar.
Officials said three more tourist spots in Kashmir (Gurez and Athwatoo in Bandipora and Bangus in Kupwara) and one in Jammu (Ramkund in Ramban) will also be reopened once the snow is cleared in these areas. These areas received heavy snowfall recently.
The decision comes days after Union home minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level security meeting in Jammu. Omar had urged Shah to reopen these destinations, a move he believes is necessary for bringing tourists back to the region in large numbers.
An official spokesperson said Sinha had ordered the reopenings after a security review and discussions.
Dozens of tourist destinations were closed in Kashmir following the April 22, 2025, attack in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam that killed 25 tourists and a local tour guide.
Sources said the mass closures had reinforced the idea that the Valley was unsafe for visitors, and paralysed tourism in the region.
Many of the places were gradually reopened. Tourism industry representatives said the latest order would throw most of the tourist hotspots across the Union Territory open to visitors.
Baisaran, the site of the deadly attack, remains an exception.
“While most tourist spots will be open after today’s order, it seems the restrictions on trekking routes remain in place,” a hiker from Srinagar said.
“These routes, including the Great Lakes trek, have been shut for around a year now. Many adventure-loving people used to come from across the country for trekking. We hope these routes will be reopened at theearliest.”
On February 7, Shah had said that enthusiasm for Kashmir remained strong among tourists across the country, and offered support for the development of new destinations in the region. Many here were left wondering about the logic of developing new sites while travel to several existing hotspots remained barred.
For the first time since last April, the Valley witnessed significant tourist footfall in January, leading to hopes of a revival this year.
Long job wait
Ten months after the Pahalgam terror attack claimed her father’s life, Asawari Jagdale is still waiting for the Maharashtra government to deliver on its promise of a job.
Asawari’s father Santosh Jagdale was one of the 26 people who were killed by the terrorists. Following the carnage, the state government had announced ₹50 lakh each to the families of the six victims from Maharashtra and government jobs to their next of kin.
“It has been 10 months since a promise was made that I would be getting a job in the government, but unfortunately, there has not been any development,” Asawari told reporters.
BJP leader Navnath Ban promised to escalate the delay to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. “The BJP’s stand is to support the Jagdale family and other families affected by the terror attack. I will personally take up the matter with the chief minister,” Ban said.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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Assam CM raises concern over rising Muslim population, cites Bangladesh infiltration as biggest challenge
February 17, 2026
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today raised the issue of illegal infiltration from neighbouring Bangladesh, alleging a sharp rise in the Muslim population in the state.
He accused the former Congress-led governments of allowing demographic change in Assam during their tenure. He stressed that the state’s overall condition was “not very good” and linked several socio-political challenges to demographic changes over the years.
The CM claimed that a major section of Assam’s Muslim population included illegal migrants from Bangladesh. He went on to claim that only a small percentage of the Muslim population in the state thinks in the interest of the country, alleging that a larger section consists of people who entered the state from across the international border.
Sarma targeted the Congress party for failing to safeguard the states’ borders and demographic balance during their regimes, which led to this migration.
The Chief Minister flagged security issues arising due to the growing population of illegal migrants from Bangladesh in the state. He claimed that such a section could support Bangladesh in any future conflict.
Reiterating that illegal migration remains one of the most serious challenges facing Assam and the Northeast as a whole, Sarma said his government prioritises strict actions to protect the states’ identity, land, and resources. He highlighted that the government has taken several counter-measures, including eviction drives against encroachment. The Assam government has also strengthened border surveillance over the years and updated the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to curb the menace of illegal infiltration from Bangladesh.
Source: thestatesman.com
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Kova bun seller was harassed by YouTubers over ‘food jihad’ claims. Then, Andhra minister Nara Lokesh rallied behind him
Sreenivas Janyala
Feb 17, 2026
Shaikh Shavali, who sells kova buns — a popular snack in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — said he was scared for his life while being aggressively questioned by YouTubers during the Medaram Jatara in Telangana’s Mulugu district.
“I have never faced such a situation in my life. My family has been selling these kova buns for decades. I have been selling them for 10-12 years, and no one has questioned the quality or hygiene of the buns… Since I never anticipated this kind of harassment, I was unable to even defend myself. I was in shock… All kinds of thoughts were going through my mind, and I became concerned about my safety when they began demanding my Aadhaar card. That is when I started fearing for my life,” Shavali told The Indian Express on Monday.
A native of Velgode in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyala district, Shavali arrived in Mulugu on January 25 to sell the buns.
“I did not face any problem initially, and business was good. The buns and kova were fresh, and no one came back and complained. On January 28, towards the evening, two to three people started pestering me about the quality of the food, and demanded to know whether I was using adulterated kova,” he said.
They were YouTubers who filmed themselves demanding that Shavali eat the buns to prove he was not engaging in “food jihad”. The video, which went viral, showed Shavali being forced to eat a bun. One of the YouTubers complained that there was no manufacturing date or expiration date on the buns and claimed that he had called the police control room.
“My mother makes the kova at home, and it is very delicious. We procure the buns from bakeries. It is a favourite of children and adults alike, and we prepare them at home so they are not that costly. They are prepared in proper conditions. We also eat them, and no one has ever fallen sick or complained,” Shavali explained. He said that his wife and two children became upset after they came to know of the treatment that was meted out to him.
Nara Lokesh: I am deeply sorry…
Shavali, also known as Vali, got an outpouring of support after the video, including from Andhra Pradesh Human Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh, son of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
In a post on X, Lokesh said, “Dear brother Vali, I am deeply sorry that you had to endure this. Such divisive and communal behaviour has no place in our Telugu society, which has always stood for harmony, mutual respect, and brotherhood. I will meet you soon and look forward to tasting your famous Khoya bun! We stand together.”
The Vijayawada-based Minority Rights Protection Forum, headed by M Farooq Shubli, who is also the chairman of the AP Urdu Academy, has provided Rs 50,000 to compensate for the lack of earnings until Shavali feels safe enough to go back to business. Jana Sena Party MLC Nagendra Babu also gave Rs 25,000 to Shavali and his family.
“They are a very innocent family, going about doing their business legitimately. Shavali is so simple that, although he has a food certificate, he does not know how to answer when someone asks him about it. He only knows it as a paper that is essential to run his business. What is heartening is how the entire Hindu society stood in support of Vali,” Shubli said.
Shavali said he will get back to selling kova buns in a few days and hopes everything will be back to normal.
‘I could not react’
Explaining his business, Shavali said he takes freshly made buns daily on his cart around town, through bazaars, and sometimes parks or wherever there is a crowd.
“A lot of customers know me, but they have never complained about the quality of the buns. No one has ever said that they fell sick after eating my buns. What those YouTubers were accusing me of was wrong and false. I think they did it for ‘likes’ and subscribers on their channel. No vendor, irrespective of religion, should face that kind of harassment. I was there just to earn some money,” Shavali said.
He said the incident left him shocked. “I was so taken aback that I could not react. We also have a food safety certificate, but when they were asking about it, I could not react because I could not process all that. The video only shows a portion of the harassment; it had started much earlier and went on for about 1.5 hours. They forced me to leave there the same night,” Shavali said.
His family possesses the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s Form C certificate, which was most recently renewed on December 9, 2025. The certificate is in the name of M/s Quality Sweets & Kova Bun, and the proprietor’s name is M Mahamood, Shavali’s father.
Source: indianexpress.com
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Parbhani mayor pick 'reward for Muslims' support to UBT'
Feb 16, 2026
MUMBAI: The anointment by Shiv Sena (UBT) of its Muslim corporator Syed Iqbal Syed Khwaja as mayor of Parbhani shows the party's acknowledgement of the contribution of Muslims in strengthening the party in the town in Marathwada, UBT functionaries said. Khwaja is the first Muslim mayor in Parbhani's history.
In the 65-member house, Sena (UBT) has 25 corporators, Congress 12, NC, BJP 12, Janswaraj Paksha 3, Ratnakar Yashwant Sena 1 and independent 1. Once part of the Nizam state, Parbhani became a bastion of the undivided Shiv Sena from 2014, when its candidate Sanjay Jadhav became MP with substantial Muslim support. Later, Dr Rahul Patil became Sena (UBT) MLA from Parbhani town, retaining the party's influence among Muslims. "Udhhav Thackerayji has rewarded our loyalty to him. There were attempts to divide us, but we got the lead and I was elected mayor," Khwaja said.
Khwaja's elder brother Syed Qadar Khwaja, an education activist in Parbhani, is credited with Sena (UBT)'s good performance there. "Syed Qadar Khwaja has been at the forefront of many campaigns and worked hard to get so many seats for Sena (UBT)," said local Urdu journalist Syed Yousuf.
Khwaja's election as mayor has come as a shot in the arm of Muslims in the Sena (UBT). "This shows Udhhav Thackeray sahab's sense of justice. He acknowledged the contribution of Muslims in strengthening his party in Parbhani and rewarded this. This will help the party spread its footprint among Muslims," said Sajid Supariwala, Sena (UBT)'s "Muslim voice." He added that in Mumbai, with three Muslim corporators-Sakina Ayub Shaikh, Zeeshan Changez Multani and Saba Haroon Shaikh--the party has already proved that its appeal in the community is increasing, "no matter how much the BJP mocks us."
A BJP leader reportedly criticized Sena (UBT) after it made a Muslim mayor in Parbhani by saying that "from now, Uddhav's party should be called 'Janab Sena'." Another BJP leader said Uddhav has made a "Khan (read Muslim) a mayor in Parbhani, something he could not achieve in Mumbai." 'No annual Rera reports from 75% of states' | page 11
New Delhi: More than 75% of state real estate regulators, Reras, have either never published annual reports, discontinued their publication or not updated them despite statutory obligation and directions from the housing and urban affairs ministry, claimed homebuyers' body Forum For People's Collective Efforts (FPCE) on Friday. It released status report of 21 Reras as of Feb 13.
The availability of updated annual reports is crucial as these contain details of data on performance of Reras, including project completion status categorised by timely completion, completion with extensions, and incomplete projects. The ministry's format for publishing these reports also specifies providing details such as actual execution status of refund, possession and compensation orders as well as recovery warrant execution details with values and list of defaulting builders.
"Unless we have credible data proving that after Rera the real estate sector has improved in terms of delivery, fairness, and keeping its promises, we are merely firing in the air," said FPCE president Abhay Upadhyay, who is also a member of the govt's Central Advisory Council on Rera.
As per details shared by the entity, seven states - Karnataka, TN, WB, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa - have never published a single annual report since Rera's implementation, and nine states, including Maharashtra, UP and Telangana, which initially published reports, have discontinued the practice. FPCE said annual report data is not only vital for homebuyers, but is also necessary for framing policies.
Source: indiatimes.com
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Madhya Pradesh HC to hear Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex dispute case on February 18
16 Feb 2026
BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh High Court is set to hear the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex dispute case after 19 months.
The much-awaited hearing in the case was initially scheduled for Monday, but was postponed to Wednesday, February 18, as lawyers across the state abstained from court work to protest the killing of fellow advocate Sanjay Kumar Saxena in Shivpuri district on Saturday.
Considering the SC direction on January 22, 2023, that the pending matter must be taken up by a Division Bench, preferably presided over by the HC’s Chief Justice or the senior most judge, it has been left up to the HC’s Chief Justice now to decide as to which judge(s) will hear the case on the next hearing.
Importantly, the double-judge bench of HC in Indore, which postponed the hearing the matter on Monday in presence of the two petitioners (Abdul Samad Khan for the Muslim side and Ashish Goyal for the Hindu side) is headed by HC’s Indore Bench’s senior most judge Vijay Kumar Shukla.
On March 11, 2024, Indore Bench of the MP HC, while hearing a plea by the Hindu Front for Justice (HFJ), had directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct detailed scientific study (including GPR and GIS survey) to understand the true character of the ancient monument and submit a complete report to the court. The Muslim side subsequently moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the HC’s March 11, 2024 order.
While not staying the ASI survey ordered by the MP HC, the apex court on March 11, 2024, ordered that no action should be taken on the outcome of the survey and no physical excavation be undertaken which will alter the character of Bhojshala Temple cum Kamal Maula Mosque.
On July 4, 2024 the MPHC in Indore gave the ASI time till July 15 to submit the detailed report of the study (conducted for 98 days starting from March 22, 2024). The ASI subsequently submitted on July 15, 2024 in the HC its 2000-page voluminous report containing the detailed findings of the 98-days scientific survey carried out at the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex.
Since July 2024 only, the MP High Court has been waiting for the apex court’s directions for hearing the findings of the ASI survey of the disputed complex, as the top court has since July 2024 stayed hearing on the ASI survey report.
Importantly, the centuries-old Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maulana Mosque is an ASI protected monument. While the Hindus claim that it houses the 11th century temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), the Muslims consider it to be the Kamal Maula Mosque built between the 13th and 14th centuries.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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Bihar to ban open sales of meat
16 Feb 2026
PATNA: Bihar government is likely to further restrict open sales of meat, following earlier orders prohibiting sale of meat near religious places.
State deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, who also holds revenue and land reforms department, said on Monday that only licensed sellers would be allowed to sell meat across the state.
“Government is framing new rules, and it will be enforced strictly. Sale of meat in the open will not be allowed in any condition. Only those with proper authorisation will be permitted to sell meat,” he told the media.
He also warned of strict action against those violating the new rules.
In March last year, Uttar Pradesh government banned sale of meat within 500 metres of religious places. Directives were issued to all district magistrates to enforce the order strictly.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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Mideast
Prosecutors plan to charge Israeli settler with killing Palestinian activist in West Bank
February 16, 2026
RAMALLAH: Israeli prosecutors said Monday that they plan to charge a settler in the killing of a Palestinian activist during a confrontation that was caught on video, opening a rare prosecution of violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Attacks from settlers and home demolitions by authorities have spiked dramatically over the past two years, but the death in July of Awdah Hathaleen has drawn particular attention due to his involvement in the 2025 Oscar-winning film “No Other Land,” which chronicled Palestinian villagers’ fight to stay on their land.
The case also stands out because the confrontation between Palestinians and Yinon Levi, an internationally sanctioned settler, was captured on video from multiple vantage points.
In a video that family members say was taken by Hathaleen himself, Levi could be seen firing toward the person holding the camera. Another showed Levi firing two shots without showing where the bullets struck.
An Israeli judge released Levi from custody six months ago, citing a lack of evidence that he fired the shots that killed Hathaleen.
Israel’s State Attorney General’s office confirmed in a statement Monday that it had initiated proceedings to indict Levi. It did not specify the charges.
Eitan Peleg, an attorney for Hathaleen’s family, said the office had informed them it planned to indict Levi for reckless homicide, triggering a process that allows Levi to contest charges before they’re formally filed.
“Enforcement of the law in cases like this involving Palestinians in the West Bank is very rare, so this is unique,” Peleg told The Associated Press on Monday.
Israel’s military referred questions on the indictment to police, who have not yet responded. Both bodies enforce laws in the area.
More than 3.4 million Palestinians and 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by Palestinians for a future state. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and an obstacle to peace.
Palestinians and rights groups say authorities routinely fail to prosecute settlers or hold them accountable for violence. Under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, investigations into settler attacks have plummeted, according to the Israeli rights group Yesh Din.
Khalil Hathaleen, Awdah’s brother, said the family was glad some measure of justice was being pursued but felt the charge of “reckless homicide” was insufficient.
“It was an intentional killing in broad daylight, with prior intent and premeditation,” he said.
Levi’s attorney, Avichai Hajjbi, declined Monday to comment on the coming indictment, which he said he hadn’t received. After the shooting, he told The Associated Press that Levi acted in self-defense, without elaborating. Levi did not answer phone calls Monday.
Parts of the confrontation were filmed
Video released last year by B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group showed Levi firing a gun toward the person filming. At the moment that B’Tselem says Hathaleen collapsed, the visuals are jostled but moans of pain can be heard. The group said it obtained the video from the family of Hathaleen, who said he filmed it.
Additional footage obtained by the AP last year showed Levi waving a pistol during the standoff in Umm Al-Khair that was with a group of Palestinians over an excavator that had rolled down from a nearby settlement and damaged Palestinian property earlier in the day.
Alaa Hathaleen, a cousin who filmed the encounter, told AP at the time that he had approached Levi to tell him the group was unarmed and to stop the bulldozing.
In the video, one Palestinian insults Levi and another challenges him to shoot. Levi shoves someone just out of the frame, demands to know who threw stones, and later fires a shot, seemingly away from the crowd. He then fires again and yells toward the crowd to get away from the excavator.
The footage did not show where bullets struck, though other relatives said they saw Awdah Hathaleen fall immediately after shots were fired.
Levi was detained before being released to house arrest. That condition was eventually lifted, too.
Levi was among the Israeli settlers sanctioned by the United States and other Western countries over allegations of violence toward Palestinians in 2024. President Donald Trump lifted the US sanctions after taking office the following year.
Attacks spike as spotlight grows
Activists and crew members on the film “No Other Land” have said settler attacks have intensified on the village portrayed since the movie won the Oscar.
Hamdan Ballal, one of the film’s directors, said his family home in Umm Al-Khair was subject to another attack on Sunday. Four relatives were arrested during the confrontation, he said.
Ballal said a soldier, who came to their home accompanied by another soldier and a settler-herder, grabbed his brother by the neck and tried to choke him. Neither the army nor the police responded to requests for comment on the incident.
“The year after I won the Oscar, the assaults increased significantly. On a daily basis, settlers come and destroy the fields, destroy the trees, destroy the crops around the house,” he said.
Israeli proof-of-ownership rules spark anger
As prosecutors move to indict Levi and violence persists across the West Bank, Israel is moving ahead with measures to deepen its control over land in the occupied territory.
On Sunday, it announced it would resume a land registration process across the West Bank to require anyone with a claim to land to submit documents proving ownership. Rights groups say the process could strip Palestinians of land they’ve lived on and farmed for generations and transfer vast swaths of land to Israeli state control.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the steps countered Palestinian Authority land registration efforts in areas where Israel maintains civil and military control.
The measures follow years of accusations by Palestinians that actions by settlers and the military — campaigns of violence, harassment and demolitions — have pushed them from their land.
The decisions have drawn widespread condemnation as violations of international law, including from countries involved in the ceasefire process in the Gaza Strip and Trump’s Board of Peace.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry in a statement on Monday said the measures were part of Israel’s effort to impose a “new legal and administrative reality” that undermines prospects for peace and stability. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry called the move a “flagrant violation” of international law, warning it would escalate tensions in the Palestinian territories and across the region.
Source: arabnews.com
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A look at Ramadan and how Muslims observe the holy month
February 16, 2026
CAIRO: Observant Muslims the world over will soon be united in a ritual of daily fasting from dawn to sunset as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan starts. For Muslims, it’s a time for increased worship, religious reflection and charity. Socially, it often brings families and friends together in festive gatherings around meals to break their fast.
Ramadan is followed by the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr.
First day of Ramadan expected around Feb. 18-19
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; the month cycles through the seasons.
The start of the month traditionally depends on the sighting of the crescent moon. This year, the first day of Ramadan is expected to be on or around Feb. 18 or 19. The actual start date may vary among countries and Muslim communities due to declarations by multiple Islamic authorities around the globe on whether the crescent had been sighted or different methodologies used to determine the beginning of the month.
This year, the start of Ramadan is expected around the same time as Ash Wednesday, a solemn day of fasting and reflection that signals the start of Lent, the most penitential season of the church calendar for Catholics and many other Christians.
Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam
Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, along with the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving and pilgrimage.
Muslims see various meanings and lessons in observing the fast.
It’s regarded as an act of worship to attain piety and one of submission to God. The devout see benefits, including practicing self-restraint, cultivating gratitude and empathizing with people who are poor and hungry.
The daily fast in Ramadan includes abstaining from all food and drink — not even a sip of water is allowed — from dawn to sunset, before breaking the fast in a meal known as “iftar” in Arabic.
Muslims typically stream into mosques for congregational prayers and dedicate more time to religious contemplation and the reading of the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book.
Charity is a hallmark of Ramadan. Among other ways of giving, many seek to provide iftar for those in need, distributing Ramadan boxes filled with pantry staples, handing out warm meals alongside such things as dates and juice or helping hold free communal meals.
Muslims eat a predawn meal, called “suhoor,” to hydrate and nurture their bodies ahead of the daily fast.
Exemptions from fasting
There are certain exemptions, such as for those who are unable to because of illness or travel. Those unable to fast due to being temporarily ill or traveling need to make up for the missed days of fasting later.
Cultural and social traditions associated with Ramadan
Muslims are ethnically and racially diverse and not all Ramadan traditions are rooted in religion. Some customs may transcend borders, while others can differ across cultures.
Many social rituals center on gathering and socializing after the daily fast. Some Muslims decorate their homes, put out Ramadan-themed tableware and centerpieces or throng to markets and Ramadan bazaars.
In Egypt, Ramadan is typically a festive time. Colorful lanterns, in different shapes and sizes, dangle from children’s hands and adorn homes. Ramadan songs may be played to welcome the month.
Ramadan’s soundscape in Egypt has traditionally included the predawn banging on drums by a “mesaharati” who roams neighborhoods, calling out to the faithful, sometimes by name, to wake them up for the suhoor meal.
New TV shows and communal meals
A lineup of new television series is another social fixture of the month in some countries, and advertisers compete for viewers’ attention.
In various regions, some Muslims worry that the month is getting commercialized, and say an emphasis on decorations, TV shows, outings or lavish iftar banquets can detract from Ramadan’s religious essence. Others say that a balance can be struck and that, in moderation, such rituals are part of the month’s festive spirit.
In Indonesia, Ramadan rituals vary across regions, reflecting the diversity of cultures. In deeply conservative Aceh province, animals are slaughtered during Meugang festivities, the meat cooked and shared with family, friends, poor people and orphans.
Hundreds of residents in Tangerang, a city outside the capital, Jakarta, flock to the Cisadane River to wash their hair with rice straw shampoo and welcome the fasting month with a symbolic spiritual cleansing.
Across the island of Sumatra, after evening prayers, many boys and girls parade through the streets, carrying torches and playing Islamic songs.
In the United States, where Muslims make up a racially and ethnically diverse minority, gathering at mosques and Islamic centers when possible for iftar meals and prayers provides many Muslim families with a sense of community. Some Muslims also organize or attend interfaith iftar meals.
Source: arabnews.com
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Lebanon says army to take at least 4 months for next stage of Hezbollah disarmament plan
February 17, 2026
BEIRUT, Lebanon: Lebanon’s government said Monday that the army would need at least four months to implement the second phase of the military’s plan to disarm militant group Hezbollah in the country’s south.
Lebanon’s government last year committed to disarming Hezbollah, which was badly weakened in a recent war with Israel, and tasked the army with drawing up a plan to do so.
The military said last month said it had completed the first phase of the plan, covering the area between the Litani River and the Israeli border about 30 kilometers (20 miles) farther south.
The second phase concerns the area between the Litani and the Awali rivers, around 40 kilometers south of Beirut.
Information Minister Paul Morcos told a news conference after a cabinet session that the government “took note of the army leadership’s presentation” on the second stage of the plan.
“There is a timeframe of four months, extendable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks and hindrances on the ground,” he said.
Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of rearming, has criticized the army’s progress as insufficient, and has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with the Iran-backed group.
Israel has also kept troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic, while Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons north of the Litani.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on Monday on the country’s south killed two people, while the Israeli army said it struck Hezbollah operatives.
Also Monday, before the cabinet session, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said that “what the Lebanese government is doing in focusing on disarmament is a grave sin, because this issue serves the goals of the Israeli aggression.”
“Stop all action to restrict weapons,” he added in a televised address, saying the government’s “successive concessions” were partly to blame for Israel’s persistent attacks.
Source: arabnews.com
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FIFA president Infantino celebrates in Beirut after receiving a Lebanese passport
February 16, 2026
BEIRUT: FIFA President Gianni Infantino received his Lebanese passport at the Interior Ministry in Beirut on Monday, months after he was granted citizenship by the country’s president.
Infantino, who is married to Lebanese citizen Lina Al-Ashkar, thanked President Joseph Aoun when he received him Monday for granting him and his family Lebanese citizenship.
The meeting with Aoun took place after Infantino visited the Interior Ministry where her performed the official process of filing documents, being photographed and having his fingerprints taken before he was handed a copy of his new blue Lebanese passport.
Infantino also has Italian and Swiss citizenship.
“I’m very proud and very happy to be here in Beirut at the Ministry of Interior to finally get my Lebanese passport,” Infantino said in a video carried by local TV stations. “I love Lebanon.”
According to Lebanese law, Lebanese women cannot pass their citizenship on to their foreign husbands and children. In Infantino’s case, he got the citizenship because Aoun granted it to him.
On the contrary, Lebanese men married to foreign women automatically pass their nationality to their children while their wives take it after a certain period of time that follows the marriage.
FIFA is the international soccer governing body.
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The Damascus book fair draws crowds, with censorship eased in post-Assad Syria
February 16, 2026
DAMASCUS, Syria: Abdul-Razzaq Ahmad Saryoul began publishing books in Syria in 2003 but he used to abstain from participating in the annual International Damascus Book Fair because of tight measures by the country’s security agencies and bans on many books under Bashar Assad’s rule.
In the first post-Assad book fair to be held in Damascus, which wrapped up Monday, Saryoul was surprised when he was issued a permit the day he applied to take part without being asked what his books are about. The wide range of titles available made this year’s fair “unprecedented,” he said.
Another publisher, Salah Sorakji, was proud to offer Kurdish books in the Syrian capital for the first time in decades. During the Assad era, ethnic Kurds suffered from discrimination, including bans on their language.
The first book fair since Assad was unseated in December 2024 witnessed high turnout, with state media reporting that 250,000 people attended on the first day, Feb. 6, trekking out to fairgrounds where it was held about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the city center. The fair’s director, Ahmad Naasan, said about 500 publishing companies from some 35 countries took part.
A debate over religious texts
While the new freedom of expression was widely welcomed, the introduction of some previously forbidden books by Islamist writers sparked anxiety among religious minorities.
Religious books were among the best selling at previous fairs in the majority Sunni Muslim country. This year, however, books of the Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyya — who lived in Damascus seven centuries ago and whose teachings are followed by Sunni jihadi groups — were sold openly at the fair after being banned for decades.
The circulation of books spreading an extreme ideology raised alarms in Syria, where sectarian killings have left hundreds of Alawites and Druze dead over the past year in sectarian attacks by pro-government Sunni fighters.
Assad, a member of the Alawite religious minority, officially espoused a secular ideology. The Assad dynasty launched brutal crackdowns on the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups during the family’s five- decade rule.
The only known book to be banned this year — “Have You Heard the Talk of the Rafida?” — included audio addresses by Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq who was killed in a US strike in 2006. Iraq reportedly asked Syrian authorities to remove it because it incites hatred against Shiite Muslims.
A bearded man wearing a military uniform who identified himself by his nom de guerre Abu Obeida, bought a copy of Ibn Taymiyyah’s famous book “Al-Aqida Alwasitiyeh” or “The Fundamental Principles of Islam.”
“Before liberation this book was banned in Syria,” Abu Obeida told The Associated Press, standing at a stand selling religious books. ”Anyone who had such a book used to be taken to jail.”
“Now it is available, thanks be to God,” he said,adding that in the past people read “what the state wanted them to.”
A new era
The book fair was first held in Syria in 1985 and stopped for several years after the country’s civil war began in March 2011.
Hala Bishbishi, the director of the Egypt-based Al-Hala publishing house, was surprised by the number of people who showed up, although she added that the Damascus book fair cannot yet be compared to those held in oil-rich Gulf countries.
“With the circumstances that Syria passed through, this fair is excellent,” the woman said. Shuttle buses between the fair and central Damascus boosted visitor numbers, she added.
Atef Namous, a Syrian publisher who had been living abroad for 45 years, said he was participating for the first time because any book can be sold at the fair now, even those imported form Western countries.
The exhibition this year comes weeks after intense clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northeast. A ceasefire deal was reached and the government in Damascus has sought to reassure Kurds that they are equal citizens in the new political order.
Interim President Ahamd Al-Sharaa issued a decree last month giving Kurds rights unseen in decades, including restoring citizenship to Kurds who had been stripped of it under the Assad dynasty, making Kurdish one of Syria’s official languages as well as recognizing the Kurds most important holiday, the spring celebration of Newroz.
“We are very happy with this positive step toward Kurds, who for more than 60 years have been deprived of practicing the Kurdish culture,” said Sorakji, the Kurdish publisher about being allowed to show books in Kurdish for the first time in many years.
Selling history, literature and philosophy books at his stand, Sorakji said most of the people buying were Kurds, but there were also Arabs who want to know more about their compatriots.
“We are all Syrians but what caused all the differences was the (Assad) regime,” he said.
Another owner of a publishing company, Mayada Kayali, said that the most important thing to offer to the younger generations who “have emerged from war, injustice and oppression is knowledge — knowledge that is accessible to them, without placing restrictions on their ideas or their opinions.”
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Syrian authorities seize anti-tank missiles intended for smuggling
February 16, 2026
LONDON: The Syrian Ministry of Interior conducted a raid targeting a suspect’s hideout on Monday, seizing missiles and various weapons intended for smuggling out of the country.
The operation in the Al-Mayadin area of Deir Ezzor countryside, eastern Syria, was executed by the Internal Security Directorate in collaboration with the General Intelligence Service.
Forces arrested a wanted person and thwarted a plan to smuggle anti-tank guided missiles and anti-aircraft machine guns that were prepared for illegal transfer beyond Syrian territory.
The operation is part of efforts by Syrian security forces to combat arms smuggling and ensure national security and stability, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.
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Al-Sharaa meets Arab intellectuals at Damascus book fair
February 16, 2026
DAMASCUS: Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa met with a group of Arab poets, writers and intellectuals taking part in the Damascus International Book Fair on Monday, the Culture Ministry’s Telegram channel reported.
The meeting was also attended by Culture Minister Mohammad Yassin Al-Saleh and his deputy, Saad Naasan.
Discussions focused on the role of culture in strengthening Arab ties and the importance of books in promoting knowledge and openness.
Participants also addressed the state of the literary movement in the region and prospects for its development.
President Al-Sharaa listened to the visiting writers’ impressions of the fair, which they said was a platform for dialogue among creatives from across the Arab world, and praised the organizers for ensuring the success of the current edition.
He added the exhibition featured broad participation from publishing houses and authors from Syria and abroad.
The Damascus International Book Fair, which opened on Feb. 6 at the capital’s fairgrounds, brings together institutions from 35 countries.
Ali Keda, assistant secretary-general of the Presidency for Cabinet Affairs, accompanied by minister of culture, toured the book fair, visiting several publishing houses.
During the tour, Keda listened to explanations from exhibitors about newly published titles.
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Arab World
SR 4.5bn raised from 135m donations through the Saudi Ehsan charity platform in 2025
HAJAR ALQUSAYER
February 16, 2026
RIYADH: Ahead of the launch on March 3 of the sixth National Campaign for Charitable Work on the Ehsan platform, officials on Monday revealed that more than SR4.5 billion ($1.2 billion) was donated through the platform in 2025 alone.
Abdullah Alghamdi, president of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, said there were 135 million donations last year worth a total daily average of SR12.45 million, compared with about SR2.8 million during the platform’s first campaign in 2021.
Over the past five years, he added, more than 330 million donations have been made through Ehsan, worth a total of SR14 billion.
The platform was built on three main pillars, Alghamdi said: reliability, transparency and ease of use. It uses advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to verify beneficiary eligibility and prevent duplication of support, he added, and a donation can be completed in less than five seconds.
It was built to “humanize the donation journey,” he said, by ensuring donors can see the direct effects of their contributions, and operates under a framework of governance that includes 13 supervisory entities and five subcommittees.
The Ehsan Waqf Fund, which was introduced to ensure long-term sustainability, so far has collected SR2.2 billion of a SR5 billion target, Alghamdi said.
Majed Al-Hogail, the minister of municipalities and housing, highlighted the expanding role of nonprofit organizations in the housing sector in particular. More than 313 nonprofits now operate within the system, he said, supported by more than 345,000 volunteers working alongside public and private organizations.
Housing initiatives have helped support more than 106,000 families eligible for assistance, he added, and prevented more than 200,000 households from losing their homes. In addition, a rent-support program is assisting about 6,600 families this year, “expanding the reach of support to more households.”
The Jood Eskan housing platform, which enables donors to help people on low incomes secure housing, began by supporting 100 families and now serves more than 50,000 across the Kingdom, Al-Hogail said. Since its launch in 2019, more than 4.5 million donors have contributed more than SR5 billion to housing initiatives, he added.
“This transformation is the result of cumulative efforts built on clear governance, precise eligibility criteria, and electronic integration with relevant entities,” Al-Hogail said.
He also highlighted digital-transformation efforts designed to accelerate the provision of assistance, including the linking of a debt defaulters support platform to the Ministry of Justice, which has reduced processing times for cases from a month to 19 days. Meanwhile an electronic signature service cut the processing time for property-ownership procedures from 14 days to just two.
“In 2025, more than 150,000 digital operations were implemented and the needs of over 400,000 beneficiary families were studied through the integration of national databases,” Al-Hogail said.
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Jeddah governor attends ceremony marking Kuwait National Day
February 16, 2026
JEDDAH: Jeddah Gov. Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi attended a ceremony in Jeddah on Sunday to mark Kuwait’s National Day.
Prince Saud was received by Kuwait’s Consul General Yousef Abdullah Al-Tunaib and other consulate officials, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Fareed bin Saad Al-Shehri, director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Makkah, and members of the diplomatic corps, were also in attendance.
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Saudi volunteers pack aid as KSrelief steps up help for Gaza
TAMARA ABOALSAUD
February 16, 2026
RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief has been preparing food baskets and shelter kits to help Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Shalhoub bin Abdullah Al-Shalhoub, KSrelief’s director of media and public relations, called the initiative a “community-driven effort.”
Al-Shalhoub added: “There has been a popular campaign to support the Palestinian people, and this has given us the opportunity to launch the initiative to allow volunteers to help prepare the food baskets.”
Each food basket contains 7 kg of basmati rice, two bags of halva, 10 cans of tuna, 16 cans of fava beans, two large bottles of cooking oil, 1 kg of salt, 3 kg of sugar, 15 cans of evaporated milk, 1 kg of peanut butter, and a stock of cheese.
Al-Shalhoub told Arab News: “As you can see behind me, it is a beautiful sight. Seeing these young men and women here fills us with pride. You can truly sense their enthusiasm and commitment to this humanitarian work.”
KSrelief opened its volunteer portal three days ago to register participants for preparing food baskets at the agency’s warehouse. More than 80,000 people have already registered, according to Al-Shalhoub.
Anyone can sign up, choose a campaign or specialization, and volunteer.
Al-Shalhoub said: “We say to the Saudi people: You are naturally inclined toward goodness and charitable work. What we see today is one of the most inspiring humanitarian scenes embodied in this image behind me.”
The food basket and shelter kit initiative follows others led by KSrelief since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023.
Al-Shalhoub said that 80 aircraft, eight ships, and 20 ambulances had been deployed to the Gaza Strip to help the situation there.
This support is continuing across three main sectors: food security, health and medical assistance, and Ramadan programs and seasonal campaigns.
Al-Shalhoub said: “During this period (Ramadan), we are also collecting donations as part of the Palestine Campaign, which has received a high level of contributions.”
All aid will enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing. Israel reopened Gaza’s Rafah border with Egypt in early February — the only exit point for Palestinians not controlled by Israel — to limited traffic after nearly two years of closure.
The World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Children’s Fund, and the World Food Programme reported in August 2025 that half a million people in Gaza were trapped in famine, and called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict and “unhindered” humanitarian access.
International pressure is today focused on increasing daily truck capacity and restoring fuel access. Aid continues but remains inconsistent due to numerous missions being denied or impeded by Israeli authorities.
The reported death toll of Israel’s war in Gaza has surpassed 70,000, with more than 171,000 people injured, according to recent reports.
The World Peace Foundation reported in August 2025 that deaths from starvation and health-related causes had “without doubt” exceeded 10,000.
Those interested in volunteering for the Palestine Campaign can register through KSrelief’s Saudi international volunteer portal: volunteer.ksrelief.org/en.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi photographer brings Madinah into focus
TAREQ AL-THAQAFI
February 16, 2026
MAKKAH: Through a deeply personal lens, Saudi Arabia photographer Shaker Samargandi is presenting a contemporary vision of Madinah.
Born and raised in Madinah, he says his familiarity with the city’s rhythms and spaces has shaped his artistic vision.
Rather than treating the holy city as a staged subject, Samargandi approaches it as “a living memory.” Through his lens, streets, courtyards and architecture become narrative elements revealing the city’s layered identity.
Samargandi told Arab News that Islamic architecture, especially that associated with the Prophet’s Mosque, has been a central focus of his visual interest, given its spiritual and aesthetic values deeply rooted in history.
He says his focus is not directed toward the overall scene, but the fine details that reflect the philosophy and aesthetics of the structure, allowing the viewer to contemplate the relationship between form and meaning.
This approach has allowed architecture to be presented as a living element, one that interacts with light and the passage of time.
Madinah’s geography plays a role, Samargandi explained. Mountains and harrat lava fields meet farms and palm groves within the urban fabric, creating a distinctive interplay between nature and urban life.
For the photographer, this relationship underscores how place is formed through constant interaction between landscape and people.
He says residents have often responded to his work by seeing their city from unfamiliar angles, prompting renewed reflection on their everyday surroundings.
Samargandi is now developing long-term projects, including a photo book documenting Madinah. For him, visual documentation carries cultural responsibility, particularly as the city undergoes rapid urban and social transformation.
Photography, he says, is not merely archival, it preserves daily details and aesthetic character for future generations while offering a tool to understand and rediscover place.
He further explained that working on long-term projects allows for a deeper understanding of a place, away from the fast pace of visual consumption.
Samargandi believes Madinah still holds, for the artist, vast territories and stories to be explored, that engage the present and honor the city’s roots.
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Arabian hare returns to Saudi Arabia
NADA HAMEED
February 16, 2026
JEDDAH: The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve has reintroduced the Arabian hare (Lepus capensis arabicus), the 14th native species returned to the reserve since the ReWild Arabia program began in winter 2022.
The Arabian hare occupies a foundational position in the desert food web, having been found in the central region of Saudi Arabia.
Its return signals another step in the reserve’s long-term ambition to restore functioning, self-sustaining ecosystems across a landscape increasingly shaped by climate pressures.
The reintroduction of this primary consumer supports the re-establishment of a critical layer of the trophic food web, restoring energy pathways from vegetation to predators.
It also supports the recovery of ecosystem functioning at the landscape scale.
As herbivores, they graze and disperse seeds, helping to regulate vegetation across the reserve’s ecosystems.
For desert predators, they are a principal food source, transferring energy upward from scarce desert plant biomass with a high ectotrophic efficiency, sustaining higher-level wildlife.
Twenty Arabian hares were selected to enhance genetic diversity and have been introduced through the reserve’s rewilding program.
Due to their ecological significance, the animals will initially remain in purpose-built breeding enclosures to accelerate population growth before release. The first leveret (hare young) has already been born.
Unlike many desert species that retreat underground to escape extreme heat, Arabian hares are uniquely adapted to life on the land’s surface, hence their other name, the desert hare.
They are among the few mammals able to survive extreme temperatures without burrowing.
Their cryptic coloration provides effective camouflage, reducing detection by predators.
Large ears, which can reach up to 17 centimeters in length, 30 percent of their total body length, act as efficient cooling systems and provide acute hearing, with pinnae capable of rotating independently.
Combined with near-360-degree vision, these adaptations enable early detection of predators.
When threatened, Arabian hares can run at speeds of up to 80 km per hour, zigzagging sharply to evade pursuit.
Despite these defenses, predation rates in desert environments can reach up to 90 percent, underscoring their importance as a primary prey species.
Andrew Zaloumis, the reserve’s CEO, told Arab News exclusively: “By 2050, temperatures in northwestern Saudi Arabia are projected to rise by 2–3 degrees C under medium to high emission scenarios, with annual rainfall declining by 5–10 percent.
“In a hotter and drier future, habitat restoration and rewilding are not optional; they are essential.
“By rebuilding ecosystems, we strengthen biodiversity, enhance natural resilience, increase moisture retention and create one of our most powerful defenses against climate change.”
As climate models point to rising temperatures and declining rainfall across the region, the reserve’s rewilding strategy is designed to strengthen ecological resilience by rebuilding complete food webs rather than restoring isolated species.
The primary indicator used to evaluate long-term success “is that the species is performing its key ecological function.
“This is being assessed through many sub-indicators, including reproduction, dispersal across the landscape and its role within the trophic pyramid.”
Zaloumis added that one of the first indicators of success will be the birth of leverets in the wild and the gradual return of the species across its historical range — moving beyond initial release sites and establishing free-roaming populations across the reserve.
The reserve is also looking at the population growth and stability of predator species that rely on hare, including jackals, foxes and birds of prey, as an indication that ecological connections are being restored.
By monitoring predator populations, their distribution and territories, and overlapping this data with hare distribution and dispersal, it becomes possible to build a clearer picture of ecosystem recovery.
As hares move across the landscape, they deposit organic matter through their droppings, enriching the soil and supporting plant regeneration.
In doing so, they act as effective seed dispersers, spreading native plant seeds and helping vegetation recover across wider areas of the reserve.
This process is particularly important in arid environments, where plant growth can be slow and patchy.
“Hares play an important role as ecosystem engineers within desert landscapes. As herbivores, their grazing helps regulate vegetation growth and influences the structure and composition of plant communities,” Zaloumis said.
By selectively feeding on grasses, shrubs and other low vegetation, they can prevent any one species from becoming dominant, helping maintain a more balanced and diverse plant community.
“Their feeding also contributes to nutrient cycling,” he added.
As Arabian hares typically occupy relatively small territories, often within a few square kilometers, individuals of the same species from different regions are not typically closely related.
“Introducing animals from suitable but separate populations can help increase genetic mixing once they are released and begin breeding with existing wild individuals, improving overall genetic diversity and long-term resilience of the population,” Zaloumis said.
Genetic diversity was assessed by analyzing partial mitochondrial (Cytochrome B) sequences and constructing a phylogenetic tree to understand how closely related different hare samples were and to ensure they are pure-bred Arabian hares.
Statistical testing was used to ensure the robustness of the lineage groupings and confirm relationships between individuals.
“This analysis confirmed that the relocated hares are genetically linked to populations from within the Arabian region and form part of a distinct regional lineage of Lepus capensis arabicus.
“Ensuring that the animals belong to this native lineage was an important first step in maintaining the genetic integrity of the population being restored within the reserve,” Zaloumis said.
Arabian hares are currently in a purpose-built, predator-proof breeding facility where they are under 24-hour monitoring by the reserve’s specialist animal husbandry team. This allows tracking health and breeding success ahead of release.
Following release at sites selected for their suitability, monitoring will continue through the reserve’s ranger and scientific services teams, who will track survival, distribution and habitat use through regular field observations and ongoing ecological monitoring.
Across the reserve, satellite and GPS tracking technologies are deployed where a deeper understanding of dispersal and territory establishment is needed, especially among larger, migratory species such as the griffon vulture.
A similar approach would be considered for a small number of hares when more detailed data is required.
Zaloumis said: “This reintroduction of Arabian hare is helping to establish a viable, resilient, genetically diverse population capable of strengthening ecosystem function across the landscape.”
Since the ReWild Arabia program began, 14 species have been successfully reintroduced.
The Arabian hare marks the sixth species to breed within the program. To date, the reserve has recorded over 100 sand gazelle births, 19 mountain gazelle births, the first two Nubian ibex kids, 36 Arabian oryx calves, and a Persian onager foal.
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Saudi arts panel explores heritage at Damascus fair
February 16, 2026
RIYADH: The Theater and Performing Arts Commission hosted a panel discussion on symbolism and heritage in traditional Saudi performing arts at the Kingdom’s pavilion during the Damascus International Book Fair.
Participants examined the symbolic meanings of folk arts such as Ardah, Samri, and Al-Khatwa, highlighting their role in expressing Saudi values, history, and national identity.
Key topics included the significance of collective movements and rhythms in conveying unity and social solidarity, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
The panel also explored the symbolism of costumes, performance tools, and lyrics, and discussed strategies for preserving authenticity in contemporary cultural contexts.
Saudi Arabia was guest of honor at the fair, which concluded on Feb. 16. The Kingdom’s pavilion highlighted creativity and cultural exchange, supporting Vision 2030’s goals of knowledge sharing and cultural leadership.
The seminar was part of the commission's efforts to promote Saudi culture at regional and international forums, highlighting the rich heritage of traditional performing arts and fostering cultural dialogue with diverse audiences.
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Haramain high-speed train preparation for Ramadan
February 16, 2026
RIYADH: The Haramain High-Speed Railway has been prepared to operate more than 3,662 trips for more than 1.7 million passengers this Ramadan, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Saudi Arabia Railways said it has completed its operational preparations to increase the capacity for travel between Makkah and Madinah.
The SAR noted that the plan for this season includes more than 100 daily trips that would align with prayer times and the movement of Umrah pilgrims.
The company recently announced the purchase of 20 new trains from the Spanish company Talgo to further increase capacity, for delivery between 2028 and 2031.
The SAR stressed that the improvements are in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics.
The Haramain High-Speed Railway operates some of the world’s fastest passenger trains, which travel up to 300 kph.
It connects Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City along a 453-km railway line.
Construction began in 2009 and operations in 2018.
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Europe
No evidence 75% of England’s mayors are Muslim
16 FEBRUARY 2026
A claim that 75% of England’s mayors are Muslim has been shared thousands of times online. But we could find no evidence to back up this claim. Of the 27 directly elected mayors in England (including the Mayor of London, metro mayors and elected local authority mayors), we could only find evidence that three identify as Muslim.
There is no official list of every ceremonial civic mayor in the country, but we’ve seen no evidence to suggest as many as 75% are Muslim.
Many posts include an image of 18 people it appears to claim are mayors. Full Fact’s analysis shows that while it is true all of the people pictured identify as Muslim and have been mayors at one point, only five of them are still currently mayors of their respective towns and cities. Most of the images show civic mayors, and not directly elected ones.
The posts appear to show, in the first row from left to right, the mayors of Rotherham, Solihull, Salisbury, Oxford, Luton and Rochdale. But only the photo of the Mayor of Rotherham pictured on that row is actually still in office and identifies as Muslim. The current mayors of Solihull, Salisbury, Oxford, Luton and Rochdale are different to those pictured, and there is no evidence these current mayors are Muslim. The images do show previous mayors, however (all of whom were reportedly Muslim).
In the second row only the mayors of Newham, Tower Hamlets and London are currently in office and identify as Muslim. There is no evidence the current Lord Mayor of Manchester City, or the mayors of Blackburn and Oldham are Muslim (although again, the images used show previous mayors who have spoken about their Islamic faith).
And in the third row, only the Muslim Mayor of Sheffield is accurately depicted. The current Mayor of Tameside was born in Bangladesh but is not the woman pictured (who was actually mayor in 2023 and is also a Muslim). There is no evidence the current mayors of East Stafford, Sandwell, Brighton or Camden are Muslim (although those pictured had spoken about their Islamic faith when they were mayors of these towns, boroughs and cities).
Mayors in England
There are several different types of mayors in England, including elected metro mayors such as the Mayor of Greater Manchester, who are elected as chairs of ‘combined authorities’, covering areas of multiple local councils.
There are also elected local authority mayors, who are the leaders in one of three types of ‘political management arrangements’ available to local authorities.
Many councils have civic mayors too, who are appointed annually by local councils and carry out ceremonial duties and chair meetings, but cannot make decisions about council business.
Of the 18 mayors in the image, only three are directly-elected.
Full Fact’s analysis found that of the 27 directly elected mayors in England (including the Mayor of London, metro mayors and elected local authority mayors), there is only evidence that three are Muslim. These are Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and elected local authority mayors Rohksana Fiaz (London Borough of Newham) and Lutfur Rahman (London Borough of Tower Hamlets).
The Local Government Association (LGA) told us it does not hold an official list of the country’s civic mayors, but we’ve seen no evidence to suggest as many as 75% are Muslim.
London is the most religiously diverse region in England according to the 2021 census, with 15% of residents identifying as Muslim, but our research of the city’s current civic mayors found just one identified as Muslim (although the Speaker of Tower Hamlets, who fulfills the same ceremonial role as the civic mayor in other councils, is also Muslim).
False or misleading claims about specific religious groups can be harmful. Online claims can spread fast and far and are difficult to contain and correct. Internet companies must take responsibility to ensure that they have clear and transparent policies on the treatment of misinformation on their platforms, and then apply them consistently.
Source: fullfact.org
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Azerbaijan announces ‘740 Muslim cemeteries’ in Armenia
16.02.2026
Talks about “Western Azerbaijan” have intensified in Azerbaijan in the context of the intensification of work on the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project and the prospect of signing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
By “Western Azerbaijan,” Azerbaijan means virtually the entire territory of modern-day Armenia.
This time, the president Aziz Alekberli of the “Western Azerbaijan” community—which was created hurriedly—announced the determination of the coordinates of “740 Muslim cemeteries” located in “Western Azerbaijan.” This was stated during an event held jointly with the Caucasus Muslims’ Board.
The aforesaid newly-emerged figure complained that “most of the Muslim cemeteries are being practically destroyed,” and “Armenian cemeteries have been built on some of them”.
“This is a terrible fact, and it must be conveyed to the world community. In this regard, it is necessary to carry out joint events with the Caucasus Muslims’ Board,” added Alekberli.
The goal of such an information campaign is obvious: to achieve two goals in one step. First, in the absence of facts, to create emotional prerequisites for various claims against the Armenian side. Naturally, there can be no talk of “hundreds of Muslim cemeteries” in Armenia, especially those that have been destroyed. And second, to divert attention from the Azerbaijani destruction of the Armenian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh and the already destroyed Armenian heritage in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan.
Source: news.am
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://news.am/
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Germany’s break with Russia left it hooked on expensive US gas – AfD
16 Feb, 2026
Germany has become dangerously dependent on US gas imports after abandoning inexpensive Russian energy, Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-chair Alice Weidel has warned. She also urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz to re-engage with Moscow diplomatically and stop fueling the Ukraine conflict.
Following the escalation of the hostilities between Kiev and Moscow in February 2022, most EU member states, including Germany, drastically reduced Russian oil and gas imports – a decision that has caused energy prices to spike across much of the bloc.
Speaking at a party event last Friday, Weidel said Germany had traded Russian energy imports for an alternative that is five times more expensive, US liquefied natural gas (LNG), which requires specialized terminals and infrastructure.
“We must not become dependent on one country. We must diversify and above all, we must buy where it’s cheap. And that’s in Russia,” she argued.
She also claimed there are few people in the federal government with “any economic policy expertise.”
The AfD co-chair also argued that Berlin “must open the doors to diplomatic negotiations” with Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. “We need peace as quickly as possible, and we must stop feeding this war” with weapons deliveries to Kiev, she said. Weidel added that Germany should instead pressure Ukraine to negotiate with Russia in good faith.
The German Environmental Aid Association (DUH) reported in January that 96% of Germany’s LNG imports in 2025 were from the US. Around the same time, the European Union approved a plan to completely halt Russian gas imports by late 2027.
Commenting on the decision, former German MP and veteran left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht said that the “EU is sealing its economic decline and complete dependence on US fracking gas.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said that by adopting the decision, the EU essentially limited its own freedom of choice.
Last August, Chancellor Merz acknowledged that the German economy had slid into a “structural crisis,” after contracting for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024. High energy prices have contributed to the trend, making local industry less competitive.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/news/632631-afd-lng-germany-gas-us/
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Organisation collects Ramadan parcels for inmates
February 17, 2026
Mya Khan
A community organisation in Birmingham is collecting Ramadan parcels to help Muslim prisoners.
Himaya Haven in Sparkbrook, which was founded in 2016, said items such as prayer mats, Qurans - the Islamic holy book - and other literature could be included.
The holy month of Ramadan is expected to start on either Tuesday or Wednesday evening this week, depending on the sighting of a new crescent moon.
The organisation, which supports families who have relatives in prison, has been taking on the project for a sixth year, after starting during a Covid pandemic lockdown period.
CEO and founder Razia Hadait said: "All the [prison] visitings were stopped and everything... so we approached the imam, the chaplaincy and asked him 'Is there anything we can do to help and support the prisoners'?"
Himaya Haven is now involved with more than a dozen institutions nationwide, including two female prisons.
The founder, who was awarded an MBE in recognition of the work she does for the organisation, said there were different types of Quran.
"A lot of the kids can't read and understand Arabic, so they use a... Quran which also translates in English and then we have a colour-coded Quran."
The CEO stated a cash donation was "better for us because we buy in bulk and we get better deals".
"We are able to buy the things which [prisoners] request rather than... something that they don't need and they can't use."
Source: bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpv842zznjmo
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Please explain: Hanson lashed for anti-Islamic vitriol
February 17 2026
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has been criticised after an extraordinary anti-Muslim rant that has been widely condemned.
The One Nation leader claimed there were "no good Muslims" and suggested future generations would suffer if more Muslims were allowed into Australia.
The Queensland senator has been accused of being devoid of policies despite her party's rise in opinion polls, with critics saying she is stoking fear and hate to divide the community.
Australian National Imams Council president Shadi Alsuleiman strongly rejected the firebrand senator's comments.
"Her comments reflect a serious misunderstanding of Islam and the Muslim community," he said in a statement on Tuesday.
"For many years, she has made inaccurate and harmful statements based on misinformation rather than genuine engagement."
The comments follow an incendiary interview on Sky News, in which Senator Hanson claimed there was no such thing as a good Muslim.
"I've got no time for the radical Islam. Their religion concerns me because what it says in the Quran, they hate westerners," she said.
"You say 'oh well, there's good Muslims out there'. Well I'm sorry, how can you tell me there are good Muslims?"
Senator Hanson later doubled down on her comments in a post on social media platform X.
"I guess (the media) aren't used to hearing a politician tell the truth without worrying about political correctness."
Senator Hanson's anti-immigration party has outpolled the Liberals and Nationals in recent surveys, prompting her to claim she is the "true opposition" in Australia.
But the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network challenged Senator Hanson to explain exactly what changes she would make if she were in a position to shape policy.
"Pauline Hanson should grow some spine and tell people what she would actually do on immigration," a spokesperson said in a statement.
"Would she ban all Muslim immigration to Australia? Will she ban Islamic schools? Will she ban Muslim Australians from entering parliament?
Multicultural Minister Anne Aly hit out at the senator's comments.
"We've seen this before from Pauline Hanson," she told AAP.
"She has a history of targeting communities, first Asian Australians, now Muslim Australians - this is the same divisive politics from One Nation.
"When we start dividing people into 'good' and bad', we move away from Australian values and lurch into fear-based politics."
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor did not comment on the One Nation leader's words directly, but said he knew "wonderful" Muslims in his NSW electorate.
Senator Hanson has a long history of targeting particular religious and ethnic groups, in and out of parliament.
In her maiden speech in 1996, she claimed Australia was in danger of being "swamped by Asians" - and 20 years later repeated that rhetoric, claiming the country was at risk of being swamped by Muslims.
Source: northweststar.com.au
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.northweststar.com.au/story/9177255/one-nation-leader-condemned-for-no-good-muslims-claim/
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Office set to be turned into Islamic community centre
February 17 2026
By Kieran Molloy
An office of “excessive size” on the edge of Cardiff is set to become an Islamic community space.
Cardiff Council has approved plans to establish an Islamic Educational and Welfare Centre (IEWC) in St Mellons Business Park.
According to the application the centre would provide “a broad range of community, educational, cultural, welfare, and training functions”.
The site itself is a “two-storey headquarters-style building” with “generous on-site car parking”.
Opening hours of the site are given as 7am to 12am to “allow the community to make full use of the facility”, adding: “It is not anticipated to generate adverse environmental impacts.”
The outside of the building will remain unchanged as no external works were proposed in the application.
The vision and objectives of the IEWC are given as: “[To] offer community education, youth empowerment, intercultural engagement, and lifelong learning.
“[To] provide a base for interfaith dialogue and programmes tackling Islamophobia.
“[To] deliver women’s development initiatives and community wellbeing services.
“[To] operate a foodbank and provide welfare support and counselling.
“[To] run youth clubs, Scouts activities, and safe non-alcoholic social programmes.”
The property was on the market for two and a half years.
During this time only four viewings “progressed to a serious stage”.
Reasons given in the application for the non-progression were given as the property’s “excessive size for typical office requirements”, lack of demand for “secondary out-of-town office stock”, an “unsuitable” layout for “proposed specialist users”, and a “preference for more modern accommodation”.
Because of this use of the property as an office space is “no longer viable”.
According to the officer’s report the new use would not result in “any unreasonable loss of amenity to adjacent business occupiers”.
A condition on the application passed by the council restricts the use of the property to “community educational, cultural, welfare, training, nursery/creche, gymnasium or health/medical purposes” and to prevent any future changes of use within its new class such as “use of the entire premises as a place of worship”.
Internally the building will be “used flexibility” to include a nursery, classrooms, prayer spaces (ancillary to education and welfare activities), multipurpose halls, a gym, and youth, women’s, and community programme spaces among other uses.
Source: southwalesargus.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/25859734.office-set-turned-islamic-community-centre/
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Two Ipswich mosques to open Ramadan Iftar meals to people of all faiths
Ashya Rose
Feb 16, 2026
Two mosques in Ipswich are opening their Ramadan Iftar meals to people of all faiths and none, welcoming the wider community to share in the Muslim tradition of breaking the daily fast together.
Ipswich Mosque on Bond Street will host its free community meal on Sunday 1 March, while the Shahjalal Islamic Centre and Masjid on Argyle Street will follow on Monday 2 March.
Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of either 17 or 18 February, depending on the sighting of a new crescent moon.
Tunu Miah, Ipswich Mosque's secretary, told BBC "The atmosphere is brilliant, we have people from all walks of life, other faiths, everyone is invited."
Ipswich Mosque, also known as the Suffolk Muslim Centre, described the event as "a community engagement event aimed to increase understanding among the communities and bring positive change."
Miah said the occasion was important for giving non-Muslims a reason to visit. "Many people haven't been to the mosque before, so we can show them what part it plays," he said.
The event includes a mosque tour, opportunity to ask questions, observing prayers and sharing a meal together. Visitors are asked to dress modestly. The fast is traditionally broken with dates and water before a meal is served.
Idris Ali of the Shahjalal Islamic Centre told BBC "Events like community iftars are important because they bring people together, encourage unity, and allow others to learn about and share in the values of Ramadan."
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, alongside declaration of faith, prayer, charity and pilgrimage. While the Quran requires Muslims to fast from sunrise to sunset, exceptions exist for those with medical conditions.
Source: easterneye.biz
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.easterneye.biz/ipswich-mosques-open-ramadan-iftar-all-faiths/
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North America
CAIR-Texas Calls on Elected Officials to Condemn Harassment of Praying Muslims in Plano
February 16, 2026
The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas), a chapter of thenation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on elected officials to condemn the reported bias-motivated harassment of a group of Muslim praying in a Plano park on Sunday.
According to media reports, a man approached the group during prayer and allegedly shouted Islamophobic slurs, calling Islam a “disgusting fake religion” and yelling that worshippers would “go to hell.” The incident, which was captured on video, has raised concerns within the local Muslim community about rising hostility and the safety of those exercising their constitutional right to practice their faith.
The alleged hate incident comes amid what community members describe as a manufactured smear campaign by certain Texas leaders targeting Muslims and Islam.
[NOTE: In December, CAIR-Texas called on Governor Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to condemn the targeted harassment of a group of Austin Muslims at a local public park and to stop fomenting anti-Muslim hate across the state.]
In a statement, Mustafaa Carroll, CAIR-DFW Executive Director, said:
“No one should be harassed, threatened, or intimidated for peacefully practicing their faith. The hateful rhetoric reportedly directed at these worshippers is deeply offensive and dangerous.
“When public officials traffic in fearmongering and misinformation about Islam and Muslim institutions, it creates an environment in which bias incidents like this become more likely.
“We call on elected officials at every level of government to speak out clearly and consistently against anti-Muslim bigotry and to reaffirm that Muslims are valued and equal members of our Texas communities.”
CAIR-Texas also encourages anyone who experiences or witnesses a bias incident to report it to local authorities and to the civil rights organization.
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
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-texas-calls-on-elected-officials-to-condemn-harassment-of-praying-muslims-in-plano/
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CAIR Calls on Congressional Leaders to Demand Randy Fine’s Resignation After Latest Racist Comments
February 16, 2026
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Republican and Democratic congressional leaders to condemn and call for the resignation of Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) after his latest racist remarks about Muslims and Palestinians.
In recent days, Fine has declared “Palestinian” identity evil and compared Muslims unfavorably to dogs. He has previously called for the destruction of all “mainstream Muslims” and the genocide of everyone in Gaza.
An article in Newsweek stated:
“California Governor Gavin Newsom has called on Representative Randy Fine of Florida to resign over comments the Republican made about Muslims.
“’If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one,’ Fine wrote on X on Sunday.”
Governor Newsom responded, “Resign now, you racist slob.”
In a statement, CAIR said:
“Between his call for the destruction of all ‘mainstream Muslims,’ his claim that Palestinian identity itself is evil, and his call for the killing of everyone in Gaza, Randy Fine is a modern Klansman and Nazi all wrapped into one, only his targets are Muslims and Palestinians. Leaders of Congress across the political spectrum should demand his resignation, which is long overdue.”
CAIR previously called on U.S. House leaders and members to demand the resignation of Rep. Fine after he posted a “deranged” call for the destruction of all “mainstream Muslims.”
Washington, D.C., based CAIR has repeatedly condemned Rep. Fine’s racist, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate rhetoric.
Last year, CAIR and CAIR Action, its associated 501(c)(4) policy and advocacy arm, sent a joint letter to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling on him to support the pursuit of a censure resolution against Rep. Fine over his longstanding pattern of violent, hateful rhetoric against Muslim members of Congress and to take steps to address the broader climate of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism that House leadership has failed to challenge previously.
BACKGROUNDER:
In response to an X (formerly Twitter) post with an image of a Palestinian infant reportedly killed by an Israeli air strike, Fine responded with “Thanks for the pic!”
Fine defended the bombing of a building with American journalists inside, publicly responding “Yes!” to a post inquiring if it was okay that reporters were among the targets.
In another incident, he privately wrote “Go blow yourself up!” to a Florida Muslim after they challenged his social media posts, calling on an Islamophobic trope that Muslims are prone to violence or suicide bombings.
In December 2023, as Palestinians awaited much-needed humanitarian aid, Fine mocked them, posting on his X account, “Stop the trucks. Let them eat rockets. There are plenty of those. #BombsAway.”
In September 2024, Fine brazenly celebrated the recent killing of 26-year-old Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, writing that it was “One less #MuslimTerrorist,” and further promoted violence against American citizens, encouraging the Israeli government to “#FireAway.”
In November 2024, Fine warned Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) that they should “consider leaving before [he] gets there,” followed by “#BombsAway,” an open threat against two Muslim members of Congress.
Later, in 2025, Fine wrote to Tlaib again, calling her a “Muslim terrorist” and once more endorsed withholding aid from starving Palestinian civilians to whom Tlaib called attention.
Fine’s blatant Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bigotry extend beyond members of Congress.
In another X post from January 2025, Fine wrote that he was working on “the need to solve America’s #MuslimProblem,” invoking a common Islamophobic stereotype that an entire religious community poses a threat to American national security.
In March 2025, while serving in the Florida State Senate, Fine told a member of the public wearing a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian culture, to “enjoy your terrorist rag” and defended his anti-Palestinian remarks by claiming: “I’m the chairman, I can say whatever I want.” Later, Fine’s rhetoric escalated, as he publicly called “for all ‘Palestinian’ organizations to be federally-designated terror organizations” in a post on X.
In May 2025, Fine suggested on national television that the United States should use nuclear weapons against Gaza, invoking the atomic bombings of Japan as a model for dealing with Palestinians. When asked to explain this genocidal rhetoric, he doubled down with a racist and dehumanizing response, claiming that half of Gaza’s population is “married to their cousins” and has “mental defects,” and that “you’ve got to have a mental defect to interpret the comment that way.”
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.
You are receiving this email due to your interest selection from commercial media databases. If you would like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/breaking-cair-calls-on-congressional-leaders-to-demand-randy-fines-resignation-after-latest-racist-comments/
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CAIR-Texas Calls on Texas ICE Facilities to Ensure Ramadan Accommodations for Muslim Detainees and Offers Partnership
February 16, 2026
CAIR-Texas, the largest Muslim civil rights organization in Texas and the state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), today called on officials and chaplains at Texas ICE facilities to ensure that Muslim detainees receive reasonable religious accommodations as Ramadan begins on or about February 18.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar and a sacred month of fasting for Muslims worldwide. Fasting, according to Islamic Sharia law, requires Muslims to abstain from food, drink, smoking, and sexual activity from dawn until sunset each day throughout the month. Ramadan is also a time for family and community bonding, self-discipline, spiritual reflection, and increased worship.
Texas currently holds approximately 18,600 individuals in ICE immigration detention facilities—the highest number of any U.S. state—with no statistics available regarding detainees’ religious affiliations. However, CAIR-Texas estimates, based on received cases and requests, that at least 5 percent of those detained in Texas are Muslims, many of whom are documented.
In a statement, Shaimaa Zayan, Operations Manager of CAIR-Austin, said:
“As the month of Ramadan approaches, our hearts go out to our brothers and sisters in ICE detention centers, as many have little to no access to Muslim chaplains. Muslim detainees during Ramadan need special meal schedules that allow them to eat right before dawn to begin fasting and again at sunset to break their fast. They also need access to copies of the Quran in their languages, religious texts for devotion, prayer beads, prayer mats and designated prayer spaces, and, in some cases, dietary and medication adjustments. In the absence of adequate knowledge of Islamic practices, requests for Ramadan accommodations may be misunderstood or denied, potentially violating constitutional protections as well as federal standards under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.”
Some Muslim detainees currently held in Texas ICE detention facilities were initially detained in other states before being transferred to Texas. As a result, they are deprived of visits from family and friends, even during Ramadan—a month intended to strengthen social bonds through collective worship, charity, and shared meals under the ethical code of Islamic Sharia Law. Receiving religious accommodations not only facilitates religious observance but also brings peace and solace in the face of uncertainty.
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
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-texas-calls-on-texas-ice-facilities-to-ensure-ramadan-accommodations-for-muslim-detainees-and-offers-partnership/
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TODAY: CAIR, Community Partners to Hold 2026 Maryland Muslim Lobby Day Marking Historic Launch of Legislative Muslim Caucus
February 16, 2026
Today, the Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the IMAN Network will host the 2026 Maryland Muslim Lobby Day at the Maryland House of Delegates in Annapolis.
This year’s Lobby Day will mark a historic milestone with the official launch of the Maryland Legislative Muslim Caucus aimed at strengthening civic engagement, advancing equitable public policy, and amplifying the priorities of Maryland’s diverse Muslim communities.
Muslim community members, coalition partners, students, faith leaders, and advocates will gather to meet with legislators and advocate for a broad legislative agenda centered on civil rights, education equity, youth justice reform, voting protections, immigrant rights, and ethical stewardship of public resources.
WHAT: 2026 Maryland Muslim Lobby Day & Official Launch of the Maryland Legislative Muslim Caucus
WHEN: (Today) Monday, February 16, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Maryland House of Delegates, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; Karim Amin, Chief of Staff to State Delegate Sean Stinnett, KAmin@house.maryland.gov
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
• Public Education & Cultural Inclusion
• Civil Rights & Privacy Protections
• Youth Justice Reform
• Voting Rights & Anti-Suppression Protections
• Immigrant & Community Safety Protections
• Human Rights & Ethical Investment Policies
The event will highlight support for specific bills addressing student privacy protections, juvenile justice reform, anti-bullying standards, voting protections, immigrant safeguards, and ethical public pension investments.
The launch of the Maryland Legislative Muslim Caucus reflects the growing civic engagement and policy leadership of Maryland’s Muslim community. The caucus will serve as a platform for collaboration between lawmakers and community stakeholders to advance policies rooted in justice, equity, and constitutional protections.
As Muslim communities continue to face challenges ranging from discrimination to policy exclusion, this initiative underscores a commitment to ensuring their voices are meaningfully represented in the legislative process.
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.
You are receiving this email due to your interest selection from commercial media databases. If you would like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here:
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/today-cair-community-partners-to-hold-2026-maryland-muslim-lobby-day-marking-historic-launch-of-legislative-muslim-caucus/
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Texas Gov. Abbott, HUD investigating Islamic community in north Texas
February 16, 2026
The state of Texas and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are investigating an Islamic community in North Texas.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner directed HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity to investigate the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) for potential violations of the Fair Housing Act in response to a request by the state of Texas.
At issue is a real estate development, EPIC City, near Josephine, Texas, being built by Community Capital Partners (CCP) affiliated with EPIC. In 2024, EPIC announced plans to build 1,000 homes, a K-12 Islamic school, athletic fields and retail space on a 400-acre complex in Collin and Hunt counties.
EPIC says it’s “a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-lingual, non-sectarian, diverse, and open community” that is “committed to civic and civil engagement with communities of other faiths and society at large.” It’s also affiliated with the Qalam Collegiate Academy, which provided middle and high school education in line with Texas Education Agency guidelines.
Last March, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a series of directives, including directing the Texas Workforce Commission to investigate EPIC to determine if it had violated the Texas Fair Housing Act. TWC said it found “a large-scale pattern of religious discriminatory conduct by the developers,” including producing marketing materials promoting EPIC City as an exclusively “Muslim community” to represent “the epicenter of Islam in America.” It also alleges discriminatory financial terms requiring lot owners to subsidize a mosque and Islamic educational centers and a “bias sales mechanism consisting of a two-tier lottery system for lot sales, which granted lot access to Tier One buyers.”
Last May, the TWC and CCP reached a settlement with EPIC agreeing to complete a fair housing training program, the Dallas Morning News reported.
In January, EPIC renamed EPIC City the Meadow. One month later, HUD announced it was investigating EPIC Real Properties, Inc., and CCP, arguing they may have violated the Fair Housing Act by engaging in religious and national origin discrimination.
“The Meadow was marketed as an exclusively ‘Muslim community’ intended to serve as ‘the epicenter of Islam in America.,” Abbott said in response to the HUD investigation. He said he hopes HUD will “hold EPIC and its affiliates accountable to our anti-discrimination laws. Together, we will hold anyone involved in violating the law accountable. The Meadow will remain just that – an empty field.”
The HUD action is one result of several investigations Abbott launched against EPIC last year. He directed the Texas Rangers to investigate potential criminal activities, directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to identify if EPIC obtained required permits, and directed the Texas Funeral Service Commission to investigate EPIC funeral services. TCEQ determined permits hadn’t been obtained and TFSC determined EPIC was operating as a funeral home without an establishment license. It issued a cease and desist order. EPIC sued in response.
Abbott also directed the Texas State Securities Board to investigate potential securities violations. Last October, it contacted Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office stating the CCP “may have solicited unauthorized sales, engaged in fraud and made materially misleading statements concerning securities.” It requested the OAG to take action.
Last October, Paxton said he launched an investigation but the TSBB sent a letter to Paxton’s office saying it hadn’t provided any “initial findings and corresponding evidence” it said it would provide. It also requested Paxton take “appropriate enforcement action.” Last December, the OAG sued EPIC City and CCP, alleging they violated Texas securities law.
The U.S. Department of Justice also investigated EPIC last year but dropped the investigation within months. In response, Dan Cogdell, EPIC’s attorney, said several politicians had “tried to pervert these so-called investigations for their political benefit.” Cogdell appeared to be criticizing Paxton, whom he represented and defended during Paxton’s 2023 impeachment trial. After the DOJ dropped its investigation, Cogdell said the development was moving forward.
Overall, Abbott has directed more than a dozen state agencies to investigate potential illegal activities conducted by EPIC and its affiliated entities.
Source: justthenews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/abbott-hud-investigating-islamic-community-north-texas
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Rubio baffled by Western war cheerleaders
16 Feb, 2026
The Ukraine conflict is “one of the few wars” that some in the international community have been cheering and condemning efforts to bring to an end, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
The top US diplomat made the remarks on Monday during a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest.
Rubio claimed that the US was the only country that has managed to bring Russia and Ukraine together for negotiations, yet lamented the reaction of certain actors in the international community to the mediating effort of the Trump administration.
“Usually when you’re trying to end wars, the international community applauds you. This is one of the few wars I’ve ever seen where some people in the international community condemn you for trying to help end the war, but that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said without explicitly naming any pro-war actors.
This year, Russia, Ukraine, and the US held two rounds of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, and multiple discussions between the parties in different formats have also taken place. Negotiations are set to take place “again in Geneva later this week,” Rubio stated. The top diplomat claimed that Washington has not been trying to “impose a deal on anybody” but rather “help” both parties to end the “incredibly damaging” conflict.
The two recent rounds of talks were held behind closed doors, with no details shared by either side other than both Moscow and Washington calling the talks “productive” and “constructive.” The latest meeting has yielded an exchange of 314 POWs between Russia and Ukraine. Multiple public statements from senior officials from all the sides, however, have indicated that the positions of the two sides remain far apart on territorial issues.
Moscow has maintained that any sustainable settlement requires Ukraine to withdraw from the areas still under its control in Donbass, which voted to join Russia in 2022. Kiev, however, has repeatedly rejected making any territorial concessions.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/news/632624-rubio-ukraine-conflict-cheerleaders/
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Orban vital for US ‘national interest’ – Rubio
16 Feb, 2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections, calling his leadership vital to America’s national interests.
Orban’s personal relationship with US President Donald Trump has translated into a “golden era” of relations between the two countries, Rubio noted.
“I can say to you with confidence that President Trump is deeply committed to your success,” Rubio said during a joint press conference in Budapest on Monday. “We want this country to do well. It’s in our national interest, especially as long as you’re the prime minister and the leader of this country.”
Rubio added that Washington would be prepared to explore ways to provide support should Orban face financial difficulties or challenges that “threaten the stability of your country.”
Orban stated that, as Hungary’s longest-serving prime minister and its longest-serving leader of the opposition, he was untroubled by any potential election outcome.
The April 12 vote is expected to be a tough test for Orban’s longstanding conservative rule, with the main challenge coming from Peter Magyar’s pro-EU Tisza Party. Orban accused it of acting under Brussels’ influence, claiming it employs “censorship, intervention, and manipulation” to undermine his government.
Writing on Truth Social earlier this month, Trump described Orban as a “truly strong and powerful leader” with a record of “phenomenal results,” praising his stance on immigration, economic growth, and bilateral cooperation. The US president said he was “proud” to endorse Orban in 2022 and is “honored” to do so again, calling him a close ally and “true friend.”
First holding office from 1998 to 2002 before returning to power in 2010, Orban has been one of the most vocal critics of EU policies, particularly its continued military support for Kiev. He has also opposed Ukrainian membership in the EU, warning that Brussels’ policies risk dragging the bloc into a direct war with Russia.
Orban’s stance has angered the bloc’s leadership, which is reportedly considering easing the accession criteria for Ukraine to bypass Hungary’s opposition. Media reports suggest that EU officials view the upcoming Hungarian election as an opportunity to neutralize Orban.
Source: rt.com
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US build-up of warships and fighter jets tracked near Iran
16 Feb, 2026
BBC Verify has confirmed the location of US aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln near Iran using satellite imagery, as Washington continues to put pressure on the country over its military program and recent deadly crackdown on protesters.
US and Iranian officials are set to meet in Switzerland on Tuesday for a second round of talks. Iran says the meeting will focus on its nuclear programme and the potential lifting of economic sanctions imposed by the US. Washington has previously indicated it wants to discuss other issues as well.
The Abraham Lincoln, which leads a strike group with three guided missile destroyers, carries 90 aircraft including F35 fighters, and 5,680 crew, was reportedly deployed to the Gulf region in late January but has not been seen in satellite imagery until now. It has been located off the coast of Oman, around 700km from Iran.
The US has also reportedly sent the USS Gerald R Ford, the world's largest warship, to the Middle East, which could arrive in the region within the next three weeks.
The Abraham Lincoln's arrival adds to what we know about the current US military build-up in the Middle East over the past few weeks, where BBC Verify has tracked an increase of US destroyers, combat ships and fighter jets in the region.
What military assets has the US moved into the Middle East?
Publicly available images from the European Sentinel-2 satellites show Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea around 150 miles (240km) off the coast of Oman.
It had not been seen since it reportedly entered the region in January but it had been crossing the open sea where satellite coverage is limited. Military assets on land are more visible and frequently captured on satellite.
It means we have now tracked 12 US ships in the Middle East through satellite imagery: the Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class carrier, which together with three Arleigh Burke class destroyers forms a carrier strike group; plus two destroyers capable of carrying out long-range missile strikes and three specialist ships for combat near to the shore that are currently positioned at Bahrain naval station in the Gulf. Two other destroyers have been seen in the eastern Mediterranean near the Souda Bay US base, and one more in the Red Sea.
We have also been following the movements of US aircraft in the region, where we have seen an increase of F-15 and EA-18 fighter jets stationed in Muwaffaq Salti military base in Jordan, and an increase in US cargo planes and refuelling and communications aircraft moving towards the Middle East from the US and Europe.
How has Iran responded?
The US Central Command released images of the Abraham Lincoln flanked by destroyers, fighter jets, surveillance aircraft and coastguard vessels in the Arabian Sea in an apparent show of military prowess on 6 February, which Iran has met with its own show of force.
On Monday the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a maritime drill in the Strait of Hormuz, located in the Gulf between Oman and Iran. The drill saw IRGC Commander‑in‑Chief Maj Gen Mohammad Pakpour inspecting naval vessels at a harbour before missiles are seen launching from a ship, the IRCG-linked Tasnim News Agency reported.
The Strait is considered one of the world's most important shipping routes and a vital oil transit choke point. Around a fifth of the world's oil and gas flows through the Strait, including from Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal. Pakpour was seen flying over the island in a helicopter in the report showing Iran's latest military manoeuvres.
How does it compare with Venezuela and Operation Midnight Hammer?
Military intelligence expert Justin Crump told BBC Verify that the current US military preparations in the Middle East show "more depth and sustainability" than its manoeuvres ahead of the seizure of former Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro in January, or the operation carrying out air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last June.
They all feature a carrier strike group and several destroyers operating independently. However, the US deployed its assets in Venezuela and Iran last year under quite different circumstances.
The US deployed the Gerald R Ford to the Caribbean ahead of its strikes on Venezuela, one of eight warships we tracked in the region at the time, though it used fewer aircraft as it could easily send jets from surrounding US bases on America's mainland or from its base in Puerto Rico instead. The US also deployed amphibious assault ships within the Caribbean, which can be used as launch platforms for helicopter operations as was seen with the capture of Maduro. But Venezuela's military is generally seen as less capable of defending itself or retaliating against the US.
When the US struck Iran last year in Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, it was attacking a country with a much more powerful military than Venezuela. Iran's military is capable of hitting US bases across the Middle East.
During Midnight Hammer the US had two aircraft carrier strike groups in the region, five destroyers placed in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, and three combat ships in the Gulf. It had also moved squadrons of fighter jets and refuelling aircraft from the US to Europe, but the B2 stealth bomber flights that were used to hit the Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites actually took off from US bases in Missouri.
Crump, chief executive of risk and intelligence company Sibylline, said the build-up of US warships and aircraft, as well as eight existing airbases in the region would allow it to conduct a "fairly intensive and sustained strike rate" of about 800 sorties a day, with the aim of rendering any Iranian responses "ineffective".
"What we are seeing isn't just strike preparation, but rather a broader deterrent deployment capable of being scaled up or down," he said. "This means it has more depth and sustainability than the force packages arranged for either Venezuela or Midnight Hammer last year. It's designed to sustain an engagement and counter all potential responses against US assets in the region and, of course, Israel."
Source: bbc.com
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Africa
Boko Haram Commander, Soldiers Killed During Fierce Gun Battle In Borno
February 16, 2026
Troops of the Nigerian Army have successfully thwarted multiple terrorist attacks by Boko Haram terrorists in Pulka and Mandaragirau areas of Borno State.
This development was confirmed in a statement by the Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba.
According to him, terrorists sought to overrun defensive positions in both locations, but were resisted by the superior firepower, tactical foresight, and steadfast resolve of the troops.
He confirmed that terrorists advancing from Sambisa forest were able to temporarily breach the perimeter of the troops of Sector 1 in Pulka, but swift reinforcement and retaliatory firepower forced the terrorists to retreat in disarray towards the Sambisa axis.
The Army statement added that a senior commander of the terrorist camp, identified as Abou Aisha, sustained a critical gunshot injury to the neck, leading to his death, alongside significant losses of weapons and equipment.
Naija News understands that there was no single human casualty to troops during the attack on Pulka.
“Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have demonstrated exceptional courage and operational superiority by decisively thwarted coordinated terrorist attacks in Pulka and Mandaragirau,in Borno State. In determined assaults launched late on 14 February 2026, terrorists sought to overrun defensive positions in both locations. However, through the battle disciplined , firepower, tactical foresight, and steadfast resolve, troops held their ground, inflicted heavy losses on the attackers, and reaffirmed OPHK’s dominance across the theatre.
“Also, at the same night, a large group of suspected BHT/ ISWAP terrorists advanced from the Sambisa Forest axis and launched a fierce attack on troops of Sector 1 in Pulka. In a well-coordinated response, troops engaged the terrorists in an intense firefight, successfully containing and reversing the assault. Although a section of the perimeter was briefly breached leading to the destruction of some combat enablers and accommodation. Impressively, swift reinforcement with overwhelming firepower from 26 Brigade forced the terrorists to retreat in disarray towards the Sambisa axis. Credible intelligence indicates that the terrorists suffered severe casualties, including a senior commander identified as Abou Aisha who sustained a critical gunshot injury to the neck leading to his death alongside significant losses of weapons and equipment. There was no single human casualty to troops during the attack on Pulka,” the statement read.
Uba noted that the soldiers also successfully thwarted the attack by Boko Haram terrorists on troops of Sector 2 at Mandaragirau, but regretably, some gallant personnel and Civilian Joint Task Force members died in defence of their location, while a few soldiers sustained injuries and were immediately evacuated by the Air Component of OPHK and the Nigerian Army Aviation platforms for treatment.
He confirmed that the terrorists also suffered multiple casualties during the attack.
“In a related development, troops of Sector 2 at Mandaragirau came under a coordinated multi-pronged attack by ISWAP terrorists mounted on gun trucks and motorcycles. Anticipating such action, troops had tactically emplaced combat teams that decisively engaged the terrorists. Interestingly , the attack was successfully thwarted after a fierce exchange without any breach to the defence of the location. Regrettably, some gallant personnel and Civilian Joint Task Force members paid the supreme price in the defence of their location, while few soldiers sustained injuries and were immediately evacuated by Air Component of OPHK and the Nigerian Army Aviation platforms. Their sacrifice embodies the highest traditions of service, courage, and commitment to the defence of Nigeria.
“Follow-up exploitation along the Kimba axis revealed blood trails,shallow graves and abandoned items, while eyewitness accounts confirmed the evacuation of multiple terrorist casualties towards Kimba, further underscoring the scale of enemy losses. The Military High Command commended the bravery, utmost professionalism and fighting spirit of the troops, noting that these failed attacks reflect the growing desperation of terrorist elements under sustained operational pressure. OPHK remains resolute in its mandate to dismantle terrorist networks, safeguard communities, and restore lasting peace and economic stability across the North East region,” the statement concluded.
Source: naijanews.com
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Gunmen Abduct JIBWIS Chief Imam’s Relatives In Bauchi
17 Feb 2026
Some unidentified gunmen have abducted four members of the family of Imam Abubakar Muhammad Digare, the Chief Imam of Jamaatu Izalatul Bidiah Wa Ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) in Digare town, Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Locals revealed that the incident occurred around 10.30pm on Saturday when the gunmen stormed the town, shooting sporadically before invading the Imam’s residence.
A resident of Digare, who pleaded anonymity, said that the gunmen targeted the residence of the chief Imam, who narrowly escaped before the attackers could gain access to his room.
Bauchi State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, confirmed the incident, saying that the Police received a report on 15th February, 2026, at about 0941hrs, regarding a kidnapping incident that occurred on 14th February, 2026, at 2230hrs in Anguwan Madaki, Digare village of Alkaleri LGA.
Habib explained that the complainant reported that unknown gunmen broke into his residence and abducted four female family members: Rukayya Junaidu, 19; Nafisa Zubairu, 19; Safiya Imam Lata, 18; and Maryam Dadalliya, 30.
The kidnappers also stole two black Tecno phones, according to the complainant.
In a related development, Habib, in a statement, disclosed that a joint rescue operation involving operatives of the Police, Army, and vigilante groups has successfully rescued two individuals, including 35-year-old Lawiza Abubakar and 10-year-old Musa Abdullahi, unhurt from kidnappers in the same Digare village of Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state.
Source: dailytrust.com
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Moroccan lawyers end strike after government backs down on reform bill
17 Feb 2026
Lawyers in Morocco ended a week-long strike on Monday after the government suspended a bill regulating the legal sector and created a commission tasked with initiating dialogue, a professional association said.
Omar Mahmoud Bendjelloun, a board member of the Association of Moroccan Bars (ABAM), told AFP that Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch had promised on Wednesday to "personally take charge" of the bill, in cooperation with the ABAM, "putting in place a mixed commission" of officials and legal practitioners.
Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi had initiated the legislation, which was presented as being intended to modernise the sector and strengthen anti-corruption measures.
The government approved the bill's text in December but has now postponed forwarding it to parliament for a vote, as previously planned.
Moroccan lawyers launched a rolling strike several weeks ago to protest the bill, deeming it a threat to their independence and demanding a participatory approach.
Early this month, thousands of black-robed lawyers gathered in the capital Rabat for a demonstration against the measure.
A key point of contention was the provision granting the courts direct disciplinary power over lawyers. Normally, disciplinary matters are handled internally by the bar association.
According to Bendjelloun, the government has since taken "a step back", opening the door for a "way out of the crisis".
Justice Minister Ouahbi told a parliamentary session earlier this month that the "matter is in your hands".
"Let them (the lawyers) give you the changes they want, and I will discuss them with you," he said. "I am ready to drop, modify or reform anything that harms lawyers."
But he added, "The legal profession needs change, and I will implement that change."
Source: africanews.com
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Drone attack on Sudan market kills 28: rights group
17 Feb 2026
A drone strike on a crowded market in central Sudan has killed 28 people and wounded dozens more, a rights group said Monday, without specifying who was responsible for the attack.
Several drones struck on Sunday the Al-Safiya area market outside the North Kordofan town of Sodari, according to Emergency Lawyers, a group monitoring atrocities in Sudan's nearly three-year war between the army and a rival paramilitary group.
"The attack occurred when the market was bustling with civilians, including women, children and the elderly," the group said, warning that their toll was preliminary.
Source: africanews.com
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Replacing Shettima With Northern Christian Candidate Could Spell Doom For Tinubu – Salihu Mahmud
February 17, 2026
A security expert, Salihu Mahmud, has warned that replacing Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 elections could create serious problems for the president, Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on Trust TV, Mahmud said that swapping Shettima for another northern Christian candidate might be risky, as such alternatives may not have broad support outside their home regions.
Naija News reports that he explained that electoral success in Nigeria often depends on established political networks and voter bases, which a new candidate might lack.
According to Mahmud, regional popularity does not automatically translate into nationwide appeal, and sudden changes to the presidential ticket could unsettle loyal supporters and weaken long-standing alliances, particularly in northern states where credibility and historical ties shape voter behaviour.
Mahmud advised that decisions about the vice-presidential slot should focus on proven political strength rather than symbolic moves, stressing that trying new options at this level carries serious risks for the party’s chances in the elections.
He said: “Replacing Vice President Kashim Shettima for another northern Christian candidate could cause big problems for the president. Other candidates may be popular in their area, but most people outside that area don’t know them well. Winning elections in Nigeria usually depends on strong political networks and voters, which a new candidate might not have.”
Source: naijanews.com
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Tinubu Demands Machar’s Release, Urges Swift South Sudan Peace Deal
February 17, 2026
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the swift implementation of the revitalised peace agreement in South Sudan, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the country’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, alongside other detained opposition figures.
Tinubu’s position was conveyed by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee for South Sudan, also known as the C-5 Plus Summit.
The meeting was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union and was chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Speaking at the summit, Tinubu urged South Sudanese authorities to free detained opposition leaders and prioritise national reconciliation.
“We wish to specifically call on the government to consider the immediate and unconditional release from detention of the Vice President and other key opposition figures.
“It is also imperative to convene an all-inclusive South Sudan national dialogue and reconciliation forum. We call on all parties to engage constructively with authorities in the mediation process without preconditions,” he said.
He emphasised that Nigeria stood with other African nations in recognising the South Sudanese people’s desire for peace, sustainable development, and a speedy resolution of the conflict.
“We support the lofty ambition of all parties and wish to reiterate our doctrinal commitment to accompany the South Sudanese Transitional Government of Unity as well as the good people of the country to actualise their aspiration for lasting peace and development,” Tinubu added.
The President stressed that national unity and elite consensus were critical to progress during the country’s transitional phase, urging African leaders to prioritise inclusive, peaceful, and transparent elections.
He described credible elections as “the only way to build trust and confidence in the country’s future and leadership.”
Tinubu also highlighted Nigeria’s participation in the recently launched regional partnership for democracy and warned that insecurity and political tension were hampering South Sudan’s transitional processes, including security sector reforms and constitution drafting.
In his opening remarks, Ramaphosa praised African leaders’ determination to resolve the conflict and acknowledged delays in implementing the revitalised peace agreement, eight years after its adoption.
He described the C-5 Plus Summit as “a demonstration of the commitment of leaders to finding a lasting solution in the interest of the people of South Sudan.”
Similarly, Djibouti’s President and chairman of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Ismail Omar Guelleh, reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to peace and proposed appointing a lead mediator to oversee implementation and address emerging challenges.
Other prominent participants included the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf; Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed; Algeria’s President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune; and representatives from Chad, Rwanda, and other countries.
In a related development, Nigeria pledged full infrastructural and operational backing for the Combined Maritime Task Force in the Gulf of Guinea.
Tinubu said the country would provide “office buildings, ships, helicopters, and temporary personnel to ensure the Force remains effective in combating transnational organised crimes and enhancing maritime security across the region.”
Source: naijanews.com
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Nigerian Army Neutralises Two Suspected Terrorists, Recovers AK-47 In Ondo Operation
February 16, 2026
The Nigerian Army have neutralised two suspected armed terrorists and recovered weapons during a tactical operation in Ondo State.
According to a statement by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Major Irabor Njoka said that Troops of the 32 Artillery Brigade deployed at the Forward Operating Base Auga, carried out the operation along the Akunu–Auga Road on February 14, 2026.
The troops acted on credible human intelligence regarding the movement of suspected criminals in the area.
The statement read, “They swiftly mobilised and intercepted the suspects.
“The ensuing contact with the armed elements led to a firefight, where the troops’ superior firepower resulted in the neutralisation of two of the terrorists, while others fled with suspected gunshot wounds.
“The operation was carried out in conjunction with personnel of the Ondo State Security Network Agency and local vigilantes.
“Items recovered from the encounter with the criminals include one AK-47 rifle with two magazines and 61 rounds of ammunition, three mobile handsets, a jackknife, a torchlight, suspected illicit drugs, charms, and the sum of ₦39,000, among other personal effects.”
The Brigade said the operation underscores the Nigerian Army’s resolve to deny criminal elements freedom of action and movement, and to protect lives and property across Ondo State.
It added that troops would sustain clearance and exploitation operations, intensify patrols along identified criminal corridors, and strengthen collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders to ensure security in the state.
The Army urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information, noting that public cooperation remains critical to efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.
Source: naijanews.com
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Southeast Asia
Jakarta Orders Nightlife Closures During Ramadan
February 17, 2026
Jakarta. Authorities in Indonesia’s capital will require nightclubs, discotheques, bars, and several other adult entertainment venues to close during much of the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan, officials said on Tuesday.
Under a new regulation issued by the Jakarta provincial government, businesses including nightclubs, steam baths, massage parlors, and adult-only gaming arcades — both manual and electronic — must shut down starting one day before Ramadan begins until one day after the second day of Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the fasting month.
However, exemptions apply to venues located within four- and five-star hotels and certain designated commercial zones, provided they are not situated near residential neighborhoods, houses of worship, schools or hospitals.
Andhika Permata, head of the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, said that businesses allowed to operate during Ramadan will face restricted hours, from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. local time. Operators must also complete their billing process, known as a “closed bill,” at least one hour before closing time.
Additional closures will be enforced on specific religious dates, including the first day of Ramadan, the night commemorating Nuzulul Quran — which marks the revelation of the Quran — the eve of Eid prayers and the first and second days of Eid al-Fitr.
The regulation aims to maintain public order and a conducive atmosphere in the capital during the holy month.
The provincial government has also prohibited businesses from displaying pornographic or erotic content, facilitating gambling or narcotics, or creating public disturbances.
“This arrangement is not merely a restriction, but a proportional adjustment so that business activities can continue while respecting the religious values of the community,” Andhika said.
Jakarta observes annual operating adjustments during Ramadan, when Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset.
According to the Religious Affairs Ministry’s 2026 Islamic calendar, Ramadan is projected to begin on Thursday, Feb. 19. The official start date, however, will depend on the outcome of a meeting at the ministry on Tuesday. Eid is expected to fall on March 20 or 21.
Source: jakartaglobe.id
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https://jakartaglobe.id/lifestyle/jakarta-orders-nightlife-closures-during-ramadan
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Amid Bersatu implosion, PAS deputy president pushes Malay-Muslim unity
17 Feb 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has called on Malay-Muslim parties and the wider community to return to unity rooted in Islamic principles, stressing that internal conflicts should be resolved by upholding faith and shared moral guidance.
In a post on his Facebook page, Tuan Ibrahim said that internal strife and crises within organisations are not unusual, but in political parties, disputes tend to draw public attention.
He stressed that the solution lies in returning to the principles of unity outlined in the Quran.
He cited Surah Al-Imran, ayat 103, which instructs believers to “hold firmly to the rope of Allah and do not be divided,” highlighting that such teachings should guide efforts to overcome political divisions.
Tuan Ibrahim noted that unity based on faith fosters obedience to Allah’s commands while ensuring the welfare of all communities is respected. He urged leaders to prioritise collective interests over personal ambition, warning that neglecting responsibilities entrusted to leaders could lead to ruin.
“Where there is effort, there is a way. Truth may take time to prevail, but it will. Falsehood, no matter how strong it seems, will crumble when the time comes,” he wrote.
Tuan Ibrahim concluded his message from Masjidil Haram in Mecca, expressing hope that political disputes can be resolved, allowing the Malay-Muslim community to unite in facing future challenges, including the next general election and nation-building efforts.
His call for unity comes amid ongoing political manoeuvring within Malay-Muslim parties, including PAS, Umno, and Bersatu.
His Facebook post reflects broader concerns over internal disputes and coalition stability, as leaders continue discussions on potential collaboration ahead of the next general election.
Source: malaymail.com
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Umno Youth chief: MACC chief Azam Baki should take temporary leave, independent oversight needed for probe
17 Feb 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has recommended that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki take temporary leave while an investigation into his shareholdings is ongoing, saying the move would safeguard the agency’s integrity and credibility.
In a post on his Facebook page about four hours ago, Dr Akmal stressed that the MACC, as an institution that upholds integrity, depends fundamentally on public trust.
Without it, he said, any investigations, prosecutions, or anti-corruption efforts would be questioned and risk losing moral legitimacy in the eyes of the public.
He said the key issue is not merely the outcome of the investigation, but whether the process is perceived as free, transparent, and free of conflicts of interest.
If the process itself is doubted, any results will inevitably be questioned.
“To ensure confidence in the investigation, Umno Youth suggests that the government-appointed investigation committee be monitored by an independent body, either a bipartisan parliamentary committee or a highly credible tribunal,” Dr Akmal wrote.
He added that this is not about targeting any individual, but about ensuring the investigation is not perceived as “government investigating government.”
Dr Akmal also said that if Azam is found innocent, taking temporary leave would allow him to return to his duties with stronger moral authority.
Conversely, if wrongdoing is found, the legal process must proceed uncompromisingly.
“Transparency is not optional — it is a necessity. Public trust is earned through bold actions that show institutions are bigger than any individual,” he concluded.
Source: malaymail.com
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PM Anwar vows to work harder, make better policies for all Malaysians in Year of the Horse
By Dhesegaan Bala Krishnan
17 Feb 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said the government will work harder and put better policies in place this year for all Malaysians, irrespective of their race, religion and creed, to succeed.
Speaking at a Chinese New Year gathering here today, Anwar said Malaysia has ushered in the Year of the Horse with impressive economic growth, reflecting the resilience, stamina, confidence and agility the animal represents.
However, he reminded Malaysians that the country cannot succeed without everyone pulling their weight, guided by the principles of unity and tolerance when facing shared challenges.
Reflecting on the wisdom of his predecessors, Anwar said both Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdul Razak rallied Malaysians together against racial division and racism.
“So, I want to remind Malaysians if you want to succeed, we have to accept there are problems, there are differences, but we must work to solve as one great society, united family of Malaysians.
“And, this is why sometimes you see the government has got to be firm to protect the need for societies to work together,” Anwar said.
The prime minister was welcomed with lion dance performances and tossed “yee sang” together with members of the Chinese community to ring in the new year.
The reception, organised by the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), was also attended by Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing as well as Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang.
Expressing his gratitude to KLSCAH for its steadfast support, Anwar said the government will provide special consideration to preserve the nearly century-old KLSCAH building as a heritage site.
“I have asked Hannah to work with the KL Mayor and get back to me with a solution.
“Don’t worry about the status of this land. We also want to preserve this heritage,” he said.
The current KLSCAH building, situated along Jalan Maharajalela, was opened in 1934 and turns 92 this year.
Source: malaymail.com
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‘Unity and prosperity’: Sabahans throng 2026 state CNY celebration with Musa Aman, Hajiji
17 Feb 2026
KOTA KINABALU, Feb 17 — Thousands of visitors of various races thronged the state-level 2026 Chinese New Year Open House at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here today, reflecting the state’s enduring spirit of unity and harmony.
Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman and his wife, Toh Puan Faridah Tussin, arrived at 11am and were received by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and his wife, Datin Seri Juliah Salag.
Also present were Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun and Datuk Ewon Benedick, as well as Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin, who chaired the organising committee.
Throughout the event, Musa, Hajiji and members of the state Cabinet mingled with guests, exchanging festive greetings in a warm and lively atmosphere.
Jafry said the celebration, held from 10am to 2pm, featured a wide array of festive dishes and vibrant cultural performances.
“The organisation of this event is part of the state government’s continuous efforts to foster unity, tolerance and harmony among the people through the joint celebration of cultural and religious festivals.
“It also reflects our aspiration to build a united and prosperous Sabah community, while showcasing the uniqueness and richness of the state’s diverse cultural heritage,” he said in a statement. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Chinese New Year celebrated joyfully nationwide in spirit of unity
17 Feb 2026
Anwar said that the Chinese New Year, celebrated with various races, accentuates the spirit of unity among Malaysians.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Chinese New Year is celebrated by Malaysians of all races, proving that unity remains the country’s pillar of strength.
From the hosting of open houses to the performances of lion dances, this festival unites Malaysians in an atmosphere of muhibbah (goodwill), harmony and mutual respect.
In KUALA LUMPUR, the MCA-organised Chinese New Year Celebration was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said that the Chinese New Year, celebrated with various races, accentuates the spirit of unity among Malaysians.
“I came to celebrate the Chinese New Year organised by MCA, and this is not just for one group, but a celebration for all Malaysians.
“It is joyously celebrated and reflects our unity,” said the Prime Minister.
In NEGERI SEMBILAN, over 5,000 domestic and outstation visitors attended the Kuala Pilah Si Thian Kong Temple as early as 7.30 am for prayers, seeking blessings and prosperity in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration.
The temple’s media communications director, 29-year-old Liaw Zi Xhuan, said visitors started congregating at the state’s biggest temple yesterday to watch the various activities arranged by the temple management, as well as to pray.
“Every year, we receive many visitors from within the country and abroad, like Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan, who come to see for themselves the temple’s special features and uniqueness, as well as to make wishes for prosperity and good health throughout the year,” she said.
In KELANTAN, about 1,500 Chinese folk attended the Swee Nyet Keung Temple to pray on the first day of the Chinese New Year, despite the rainy conditions, said Mukim Pulai village head Foo Mei Ling.
“Each year, this temple will be the focus, and usually, on the second and third day of the Chinese New Year, we will get about 500 visitors coming to pray at the temple, which is open until late at night throughout the festive period,” she said.
In MELAKA, over 4,000 people from different races in Machap Baru, Alor Gajah, welcomed the Chinese New Year with various activities, such as art and culture performances, sale of food and goods and firework displays.
State Health, Human Resources and Unity Committee chairman Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem, also the Machap Jaya assemblyman, said the Chinese New Year’s Eve programme not only enlivened the festive celebration, but also served as a medium to unite people of various races.
Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam and Melaka MCA chairman Datuk Lim Ban Hong also attended the event.
In PERLIS, over 200 people of various races turned out to enliven the Chinese New Year celebration organised by a group of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) at a temple in Pauh, Arau, from 10.30 pm to 1 am.
A visitor, 28-year-old Lim Wei Jian, said he and his family came here to witness the Chinese New Year fireworks display.
Another visitor, 32-year-old Ahmad Firdaus Rahman, said his wife and children were happy to have joined him in experiencing the joy of the festive celebration, adding that the presence of various races proved that the spirit of unity remains strong in Perlis.
In KEDAH, 56-year-old Ong Pei Tan, of Taman Mergong, said that after offering prayers, she went to the recreational park for zumba with her friends before heading home in the afternoon to celebrate with her family.
“We also bought oranges to give out to people here… sharing sustenance and the New Year, because in Malaysia, for example, Malays and Indians also join in the celebration of the Chinese New Year… just like during Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Deepavali,” she said.
In PERAK, many people celebrating Chinese New Year started making their way to the Lin Seng Tong Temple in Jalan Sultan Nazrin Shah since 9 am to perform religious rituals and offer their respective prayers and wishes.
Most of them came with their families dressed in cheongsams and casual red outfits, a colour synonymous with good fortune and prosperity in Chinese culture.
Meanwhile, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad hopes that the Chinese New Year will bring a ray of joy, peace and prosperity for all who celebrate itl.
“It is this unity that has long been the foundation of Malaysia’s strength. It is a gift that we must safeguard, protect and defend together so that harmony can continue to flourish and be passed on to future generations,” he posted on Facebook.
In JOHOR, the Chinese New Year was joyfully celebrated at the Senai International Airport, with visitors arriving from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, treated to a colourful festive occasion through a programme organised by Tourism Malaysia.
They were welcomed with a lion dance performance at the arrival hall, given mandarin oranges as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity, as well as Visit Malaysia 2026 souvenirs as a token of appreciation.
Johor Unity, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman K. Raven Kumar said the diverse festive seasons in Malaysia reflected the strength of the people’s unity, thus reinforcing the country’s position as a unique tourism destination on the world stage.
Source: thesun.my
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PM Anwar urges conservation of 100-year-old KLSCAH building
17 Feb 2026
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim calls for conservation of the historic KLSCAH building to secure its recognition as a national heritage site.
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for conservation efforts on the century-old Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) building.
He stated this is necessary to facilitate its recognition as a historic building and national heritage.
Anwar instructed the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh to coordinate the conservation work with Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud.
He also directed Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and all relevant committees to convene and discuss the recognition process.
“This building just reached 100 years old and is required to get government recognition,” Anwar said during the Chinese New Year celebration at KLSCAH.
He assured that the land status would not be an issue, describing Malaysia as a caring society that wants to preserve its heritage.
“We treat this building as a historic building, as heritage. Therefore, we give special consideration,” he added.
According to the Department of National Heritage, construction of the KLSCAH building began in 1910 and was completed in 1923.
It was built to serve as a welfare centre for the Chinese community in Malaysia, particularly in economic and cultural sectors.
Source: thesun.my
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South Asia
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan Sign $300 Million Trade Agreements
By Fidel Rahmati
February 17, 2026
Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed major trade agreements worth $300 million, including 25 trade deals.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce under the Taliban administration announced the signing of 25 trade agreements worth $300 million with neighboring Uzbekistan.
The agreements were signed during an Afghanistan–Uzbekistan business forum attended by Industry Minister Nuruddin Azizi and Surkhandarya regional governor Erkinjon Turdimov.
According to officials, the agreements cover sectors including construction, food products, agriculture, furniture production, textiles, and pharmaceutical cooperation between the two sides.
Taliban officials say bilateral trade has expanded rapidly, with exports and imports between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan increasing significantly over the past year.
The agreements come as tensions have escalated between Taliban authorities and Pakistan over border security and political disputes, affecting regional economic relations.
Amid the dispute, authorities recently announced a complete ban on medicine imports from Pakistan, pushing traders to seek alternative supply routes through Central Asia.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-uzbekistan-sign-300-million-trade-agreements/
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Iraq Says 25 Afghans Among ISIS Prisoners Transferred from Syria
By Fidel Rahmati
February 17, 2026
Iraq says prisoners linked to ISIS, including 25 Afghan nationals, were transferred from Syrian prisons to face legal proceedings in Iraqi courts.
The Ministry of Justice of Iraq announced on Monday that several detainees linked to the group were transferred from prisons in Syria to Iraq to complete judicial procedures and serve sentences.
According to Alsumaria TV, official documents show the transferred prisoners include nationals from multiple countries moved under coordinated legal arrangements.
Among the transferred detainees are 25 citizens of Afghanistan, though authorities have not released further details about their identities or previous detention locations.
Officials have also not disclosed information regarding the legal status or sentencing timelines of the transferred individuals, citing ongoing judicial procedures.
The development comes as authorities across the region continue efforts to process detainees captured during past anti-militant operations in Syria and neighboring conflict zones.
Security concerns persist as regional governments struggle with handling thousands of foreign detainees captured during operations against militant groups operating across borders in recent years.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s current rulers, the Taliban, claim they have curbed militant activity domestically, though concerns remain over cross-border extremist networks.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/iraq-says-25-afghans-among-isis-prisoners-transferred-from-syria/
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Pakistan UN Envoy: Kabul Must Choose Between Peace or Isolation
By Fidel Rahmati
February 16, 2026
Pakistan’s UN envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad says Kabul must choose Afghanistan’s path carefully as sanctions monitoring mission is extended by Security Council.
Ahmad welcomed the Security Council’s unanimous decision to extend the mandate of the 1988 Taliban sanctions monitoring team, calling it a “clear, unambiguous message” to Afghanistan.
He urged the team to continue proactive reporting and support the sanctions committee’s work under UN Security Council Resolution 1988, emphasizing accountability for Taliban actions.
The Taliban’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid criticized the extension, calling sanctions “unsuccessful” and urging Western countries to reconsider their approach, claiming they fail to resolve problems.
Countries including China, Russia, and Pakistan supported the mandate extension, highlighting the need to counter terrorism, while the U.S. warned Taliban misuse hostages for diplomatic leverage.
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Tami Bruce condemned hostage-taking tactics, saying Resolution 1988 remains vital to hold Taliban accountable for using detainees as bargaining tools.
Resolution 1988, established in June 2011, monitors UN sanctions such as asset freezes, travel bans, and arms restrictions against individuals and entities linked to the Taliban.
China emphasized combating ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, insisting the country must not be used as a threat to regional security, while Russia stressed focus on counterterrorism over human rights.
The extension reinforces international pressure on the Taliban to choose peace, comply with sanctions, and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a hub for terrorism or regional instability.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-un-envoy-kabul-must-choose-between-peace-or-isolation/
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Fair Prices as Holy Month of Ramadan Arrives
February 17, 2026
Ramadan is a month of worship, patience, and compassion. For thousands of families in Kabul and other provinces of the country, however, it can also become a month of financial pressure if food prices rise unfairly. That is why the recent step by Kabul Municipality to introduce a new price list for essential goods is both necessary and commendable.
Every year, as Ramadan approaches, demand for basic items such as flour, rice, and cooking oil increases. In the past, some traders have taken advantage of this situation by hoarding goods and raising prices. Such actions place a heavy burden on poor families and go against the spirit of Ramadan, which teaches honesty, fairness, and care for others.
The newly announced price list has already led to slight reductions in key food items. Even small decreases can make a meaningful difference for families who struggle to manage daily expenses. Affordable prices not only support consumers but can also increase overall sales for shopkeepers, creating a healthier market environment.
However, announcing prices alone is not enough. Strict monitoring and enforcement are essential. Responsible institutions, especially Kabul Municipality, must carefully supervise markets and take legal action against those who violate the rules. Preventing overpricing and hoarding during Ramadan should be treated as a serious responsibility.
Ramadan is a sacred month that calls for justice and empathy. Ensuring fair prices is not only an economic duty but also a moral one.
Beyond fair pricing, Ramadan is also a time when the wealthy are reminded of their duty toward the less fortunate. Islam places strong emphasis on Zakat and voluntary charity, especially during this blessed month. For many struggling families in Kabul and across Afghanistan, assistance from generous individuals can mean the difference between hardship and comfort.
Affluent members of society should actively look for ways to support the poor, whether by distributing food packages, sponsoring iftar meals, or quietly helping neighbors who are in need. Acts of generosity not only relieve financial pressure but also strengthen unity and brotherhood within the community. Ramadan teaches that wealth is a trust, and sharing it purifies both property and heart.
When business owners choose fairness over greed and when wealthy citizens extend a helping hand, the entire society benefits. Compassion reduces inequality and spreads hope. In this way, Ramadan becomes not only a month of fasting, but also a season of solidarity, mercy, and shared responsibility.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/fair-prices-as-holy-month-of-ramadan-arrives/
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Empowering Local Industries: How Small Enterprises Drive Afghanistan’s Economic Growth
February 17, 2026
Afghanistan stands at an important turning point in its economic journey, where the growth of local industries and small enterprises is emerging as a key driver for prosperity. From traditional crafts such as carpet weaving to small-scale manufacturing and food production, these industries provide vital opportunities for employment, income generation, and community development. Supporting local industries is not just an economic strategy—it is a pathway to building self-reliant communities and strengthening national growth.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of any thriving economy. In Afghanistan, they create jobs in regions where large-scale industries are limited, allowing families to earn a stable income and improve their standard of living. The carpet industry, for instance, is a centuries-old craft that continues to provide livelihoods for thousands of Afghan families. By supporting artisans, the government not only boosts household income but also preserves cultural heritage and promotes Afghan craftsmanship on domestic and international markets.
Beyond traditional crafts, sectors such as construction, mining, and local manufacturing have demonstrated remarkable potential. Employment opportunities generated by these industries allow families to contribute actively to their local economy, enhancing both social and economic stability. The positive impact of these enterprises extends beyond income, as they encourage skill development, innovation, and entrepreneurship among local communities. With access to resources, training, and guidance, small business owners can diversify their products, improve quality standards, and expand into national and international markets.
Government support plays a central role in nurturing these enterprises. Policies that facilitate licensing, technical training, and access to markets strengthen the capacity of small businesses to grow sustainably. Initiatives such as vocational training for artisans, provision of modern tools for production, and promotion of export-oriented products provide entrepreneurs with the tools needed to thrive. By creating a supportive environment, the government encourages innovation, enhances productivity, and ensures that small industries contribute meaningfully to Afghanistan’s economy.
The growth of local industries also strengthens communities socially and culturally. Families who are economically empowered can invest in education, healthcare, and community development, creating a ripple effect of positive change. Local enterprises also foster national pride, as Afghan-made products gain recognition for their quality and cultural significance. From the weaving of a traditional carpet to the production of handcrafted goods, every achievement in the small enterprise sector strengthens Afghanistan’s identity and global presence.
Investment in local industries brings broader economic benefits as well. As small enterprises expand, they stimulate local supply chains, create demand for materials and services, and encourage cooperation between the public and private sectors. The success of these businesses helps increase household purchasing power, supports sustainable economic growth, and contributes to the overall development of provinces and districts across the country.
Furthermore, empowering local industries ensures that Afghanistan’s economic growth is inclusive. By providing opportunities for artisans, entrepreneurs, and small business owners, every member of society has the chance to contribute to national development. Encouraging innovation, skill enhancement, and entrepreneurship enables communities to take an active role in shaping a prosperous future.
In conclusion, supporting local industries and small enterprises is essential for Afghanistan’s economic prosperity. These enterprises provide employment, strengthen household incomes, promote cultural heritage, and foster self-reliant communities. With continued government support, investment in training and resources, and encouragement of entrepreneurship, Afghanistan’s small industries can thrive as engines of growth and opportunity. By empowering local artisans, manufacturers, and business owners, the nation lays the foundation for sustainable economic development, ensuring that prosperity reaches every citizen and every corner of the country.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/empowering-local-industries-how-small-enterprises-drive-afghanistans-economic-growth/
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The Environmental, Geopolitical Dimensions of the Climate Crisis in Afghanistan
February 17, 2026
Climate change in Afghanistan, particularly in Kabul and the surrounding regions, has evolved beyond a mere environmental anomaly into a severe strategic crisis. It is no longer defined solely by the shifting of seasons but has become a direct threat to water security, agricultural production, social stability, and the fundamental pillars of human survival. The unfolding situation in 2026 highlights a disruption of the natural order that threatens the continuity of life in the region, exacerbated by global systemic factors.
A primary manifestation of this crisis is a disturbing shift in precipitation patterns. Historically, Afghanistan’s water security relied upon heavy winter snowfall. This snow acted as a natural reservoir, storing water in the mountains to be released gradually during the spring and summer melts, thereby ensuring a steady flow into the nation’s rivers. However, recent years have witnessed a critical deviation: winter precipitation now increasingly falls as rain rather than snow.
This transformation represents a fundamental breakdown of the region’s ecological balance. Unlike snow, winter rain does not act as a storage mechanism. Instead, it results in immediate runoff, often triggering devastating flash floods or evaporating without benefit to the water table. The loss of snowpack means the mechanism for gradual water release is vanishing, leading to long-term scarcity.
The direct consequence of rising temperatures and the shift from snow to rain is the accelerated melting of Afghanistan’s glaciers. These glaciers are not merely geographical features; they are the strategic “water towers” that feed the country’s river systems and replenish underground aquifers. The current trajectory suggests a rapid depletion of these natural reserves. As these glaciers retreat, the country faces the prospect of severe water shortages, a collapse in agricultural output, and the forced displacement of populations unable to sustain life in drying regions. This physical degradation of the landscape serves as a grim indicator of a broader collapse in environmental stability.
The impact of these changes is most acutely felt during the summer months, characterized by unprecedented temperature spikes and prolonged droughts. As water sources dry up and arable land becomes barren, the basic requirements for human life are placed under siege. This seasonal severity underscores that climate change in Afghanistan is not a distant threat but a present reality that dismantles the economic and social fabric of the nation. It transforms a discussion about weather into a crisis of political economy and public safety.
The analysis of this crisis extends beyond physical symptoms to identifying the root causes, which lie within the global capitalist system. The devastation witnessed in Afghanistan is a byproduct of industrial overproduction, excessive consumption, and a profit-oriented global economy driven by major capitalist powers.
This economic system views nature not as a sacred trust (Amanat) to be preserved, but as a tool for exploitation. While the financial profits of this industrial model are concentrated in the hands of a few powerful nations, the catastrophic environmental consequences are externalized and imposed upon the rest of humanity. It is the Islamic world and vulnerable nations like Afghanistan—countries with negligible carbon footprints—that bear the brunt of this global mismanagement. The climate crisis, therefore, is ultimately a manifestation of the inefficiency and injustice of the prevailing global order, where the weak suffer for the excesses of the wealthy.
The climate situation in Afghanistan is a multi-layered crisis involving water insecurity, agricultural failure, and the potential for mass migration. Addressing it requires acknowledging that these environmental shifts are inextricably linked to a global economic structure that prioritizes profit over the preservation of the natural world.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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Soviet Withdrawal: Lessons from a Painful Chapter in Afghan History
February 17, 2026
Thirty-seven years ago, on the 26th of Dalwa (February 15, 1989), the last Soviet soldier crossed the Friendship Bridge over the Amu River, marking the end of nearly a decade of Soviet military presence in Afghanistan. The withdrawal of the Soviet Red Army closed one of the most painful and transformative chapters in Afghanistan’s modern history. Yet, while the military occupation formally ended on that winter day, the consequences of the war continued to shape the country for decades. The Soviet invasion began in December 1979, bringing nearly 100,000 troops into Afghanistan.
Politically, the intervention coincided with a dramatic shift in power in Kabul. Babrak Karmal rose to leadership with Soviet backing, replacing the existing government. Instead of restoring order, the intervention deepened instability and ignited a nationwide armed resistance. What followed was not merely a conflict between two armies, but a prolonged and devastating war that engulfed cities, villages, and rural communities alike.
The human cost of the war was staggering. More than one million Afghans lost their lives, and millions more were displaced. Families were torn apart, agricultural lands were destroyed, and entire communities were forced to seek refuge in neighboring countries such as Pakistan and Iran. The social fabric of the nation suffered immense damage. A generation grew up amid violence, displacement, and uncertainty, leaving long-term psychological and social scars that remain visible today.
Economically, the war crippled Afghanistan. Infrastructure was destroyed, trade routes were disrupted, and basic services collapsed in many parts of the country. Instead of development and stability, Afghanistan experienced economic decline and humanitarian crisis. The conflict drained resources and undermined the foundations of sustainable growth. Even after the withdrawal of Soviet forces, rebuilding the economy proved to be an enormous challenge, compounded by continued internal conflict.
The political consequences were equally profound. The war intensified internal divisions among Afghans. Various resistance groups emerged, often divided by ideology, ethnicity, or regional interests. While these groups were united in their opposition to foreign occupation, their lack of unity in the post-withdrawal period contributed to further instability. As some analysts have noted, internal fragmentation prevented the country from fully capitalizing on the opportunity for peace after 1989.
The formal withdrawal itself came after the signing of the Geneva Accords in 1988, which set the framework for the departure of Soviet forces. On February 15, 1989, General Boris Gromov, commander of the Soviet Union’s 40th Army, became the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan, crossing the Friendship Bridge into what is now Uzbekistan. His departure symbolized the end of direct Soviet military involvement, but it did not immediately bring peace to Afghanistan.
As Afghanistan marks the 37th anniversary of that historic withdrawal, it is important not only to remember the sacrifices made but also to reflect on the lessons of that era. One of the most important lessons is the value of national unity. Internal divisions weakened the country during and after the occupation. Lasting stability requires cooperation, dialogue, and a shared commitment to national interests above factional or personal ambitions.
Another key lesson is the heavy cost of foreign intervention combined with domestic political instability. Afghanistan’s experience during the 1980s demonstrates how external involvement can intensify internal conflicts, especially when political institutions are fragile. Building strong, inclusive, and accountable institutions remains essential to preventing similar crises in the future. Finally, the anniversary serves as a reminder of the resilience of the Afghan people. Despite immense suffering, displacement, and destruction, Afghans have repeatedly demonstrated endurance and determination. Honoring the memory of those who lost their lives requires more than ceremonial recognition; it calls for sincere efforts to build a peaceful, stable, and prosperous country.
The 37th anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal is therefore not only a historical milestone. It is an opportunity to reflect, to learn, and to renew a collective commitment to unity and national progress. By learning from past hardships and avoiding the mistakes that prolonged conflict, Afghanistan can strive toward a future defined not by war, but by stability and development.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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