Gujarat ATS Arrests Two For ‘Anti-India Conspiracy’, Links With ISIS
New Age Islam News Bureau
22 April 2026
The ATS said that it found out, during routine social media surveillance, that Irfankhan and his associates allegedly conspired to establish “Ghazwa-e-Hind” in India. (Photo generated using AI)
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· Gujarat ATS arrests two for ‘anti-India conspiracy’, links with ISIS
· Iran knows how to ‘resist bullying’: foreign minister
· Saudi crown prince discusses developments in Lebanon with president
· Georgia arrests two in Batumi for alleged links to Islamic State
· 'Asked to hold attack': Trump extends ceasefire, cites Pak request; Tehran says 'losing sides can't dictate terms'
· Terrorism: ‘Nigerian Govt Officials Are Complicit In Facilitating These Atrocities’ – Ted Cruz Tells US Senate
· Malaysia’s strategic neutrality key to navigating US-China trade war, says Tengku Zafrul
· Islamic Emirate’s Responsibility as Surge in Returnees Observers
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India
· Two ‘ISI operatives’ arrested for planning attacks on Delhi-NCR hotels and clubs
· Railways issues demolition notice for mosque at Prayagraj Junction
· Pakistan stood 'isolated' after 26/11, now has 'global respectability': Congress slams govt on Pahalgam
· 2021 hate crime case: Why is investigating officer playing hide and seek with court, Supreme Court asks UP
· Battle of Panipat’s legacy: 500-year-old Kabuli Bagh Masjid stands tall
· Cleared to vote, but missing from seat as NIA probes SIR protest
· ISF candidate alleges attack, blocks highway
· LeT-linked T Naseer, six others sentenced in Bengaluru prison radicalisation case after pleading guilty
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Mideast
· Israeli strike on Lebanon’s Bekaa kills one despite truce: state media
· Iran fires on container ship in Strait of Hormuz
· Iran war means more orders for US defence giants
· Attacks by pro-Iran militias strain Iraq’s sovereignty, fray ties with Gulf Arab neighbors
· Hezbollah fires at Israel, citing truce breaches
· Pakistan PM welcomes US-Iran ceasefire extension
· Iran executes eighth man over 2026 protests
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Arab World
· Govt reiterates ban on visit-visa holders performing Hajj
· Saudi ambassador presents credentials to Kyrgyz President
· Saudi crown prince welcomes arrival of Hajj pilgrims at Cabinet meeting
· Lyrid meteor shower set to illuminate Saudi skies on Wednesday night
· Kingdom uncovers ancient marketplace, mosque, Chinese pottery at Al-Serrain archaeological site
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Europe
· Russia knows how Ukraine conflict will end – Putin
· Greek interests ship was hit in Oman by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
· UK special forces resigning en masse over war crimes probe – media
· Gunfire as Ukrainian mobilization squad caught in anti-bribe sting
· 70-year-olds fit enough for service – German reservist chief
· Zelensky says failure of US envoys to visit Kyiv is 'disrespectful'
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North America
· CAIR Welcomes New Report Detailing ‘Dehumanizing’ Anti-Muslim Campaign by Public Officials
· Activists demand release of Palestinian leader detained in US
· Record-Breaking 1,000+ Muslim Delegates Participate in 11th Annual National Muslim Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill
· Locked Up by Israel at 15, Palestine Activist Is Now Jailed by ICE
· Chip Roy Names Bill to Deport Socialists After NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
· Trump buys time for Iran deal after frantic day of diplomacy
· Trump recalls ass-kiss in Tim Apple tribute
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Africa
· Military Sets Up Court Martial For Officers Over Alleged Coup Plot
· Al-Burhan, sultan of Oman discuss developments in Sudan
· Kwankwaso Can’t Sell Muslims, I Will Campaign Against Him – Asari Dokubo
· Pope Leo XIV urges justice on visit to Equatorial Guinea
· South Sudan to hold elections in December as fighting rages on
· ADC Blasts FG Over 7% Release Of Army Equipment Funds Amid Rising Insecurity
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Southeast Asia
· Two men charged over offensive Facebook posts on 3R issues
· Malaysia urged to reform response to global trade changes
· PM Anwar vows proactive action on global supply crisis
· Sultan Nazrin urges proactive global governance for AI and genetics
· Zakat Selangor says has absolutely no links to RM230m NGO fraud case
· Sultan Ibrahim orders royal foundation to assist Sandakan families displaced by massive fire
· Malaysia among five Asian countries where WeChat Pay now accepts domestic QR systems
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South Asia
· Afghanistan Advances Regional Trade Ties at Central Asia Industrial Expo
· Experts for shariah governance to ensure transparency in banks
· Balanced Progress: How Rural Development Builds Stronger Societies
· BB removes Int’l Leasing MD over irregularities
· Hasnat Abdullah seeks cars for MPs after govt moves to set up offices for them
· EU Special Envoy Travels to Kabul, Afghanistan
· Afghanistan’s UN Seat: A Call for Recognition
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Gujarat ATS arrests two for ‘anti-India conspiracy’, links with ISIS
Apr 21, 2026
The ATS said that it found out, during routine social media surveillance, that Irfankhan and his associates allegedly conspired to establish “Ghazwa-e-Hind” in India. (Photo generated using AI)
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Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Tuesday said it arrested two individuals, one from Patan in Gujarat and the other from Mumbai in Maharashtra, with “radical ideology” who indulged in “anti-national conspiracy” through social media. At least one of them allegedly had links with terror group ISIS, the agency said.
After their arrests, a local court on Tuesday remanded Irfankhan Kalekhan Pathan (22), who hails from Siddhpur, Patan, and Murshid Zahid Akhtar Sheikh (21), who runs a food business in Sakinaka, Mumbai, to 11-day ATS custody. Further investigation is underway to identify other persons involved in the alleged terror plot, the ATS added.
The ATS said that it found out, during routine social media surveillance, that Irfankhan and his associates allegedly conspired to establish “Ghazwa-e-Hind” in India by carrying out an armed rebellion against the Government of India and creating fear. For this purpose, he was reportedly collecting weapons and preparing to make explosives. He was also allegedly attempting to motivate people from a community to engage in ‘jihad’ and was in the process of forming a team for this objective.
Based on this information, Irfankhan was detained and taken to the ATS HQ for preliminary questioning. A statement from the ATS on Tuesday said an examination of his mobile phone showed that he was in contact with people linked to ISIS and other radical individuals and groups through platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram.
“Along with his associates, he was allegedly planning to establish “Ghazwa-e-Hind” across India by targeting political leaders, RSS-linked individuals, non-believers in Islam and to impose Sharia law,” the note read.
It further said, “The plan reportedly involved mobilising like-minded extremists from different states, providing them training in making RDX and other explosives as well as handling weapons through camps, establishing links with ISIS and other terror organizations, smuggling weapons from Pakistan and Afghanistan, and raising funds to initiate terrorist activities across the country.”
An FIR was registered at the ATS Police Station under sections 61 and 148 of the BNS, and the 22-year-old was arrested.
Further investigation allegedly revealed that Mumbai’s Murshid Zahid was also “involved” in the mentioned criminal activities with Irfankhan. Then, an ATS team, with the assistance of Maharashtra Police, detained Murshid Sheikh for preliminary interrogation.
The statement added, “During questioning, objectionable material was found on his mobile phone, along with chats indicating planning of anti-national activities in coordination with Irfan Pathan. Consequently, Murshid Zahid Akhtar Sheikh was also arrested in the case. Both accused have been remanded for 11 days, and further investigation is underway to identify and take action against other individuals involved in the conspiracy.”
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/gujarat-ats-arrests-isis-link-ghazwa-e-hind-plot-10648725/
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Iran knows how to ‘resist bullying’: foreign minister
April 21, 2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (AFP file photo)
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TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign minister said on Tuesday the Islamic republic knew how to “resist bullying,” as a ceasefire was due to expire and Tehran had yet to formally respond to an invite to talks with the US in Islamabad.
“Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying,” Abbas Araghchi said on X, denouncing a US blockade of Iranian ports as “an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2640771/middle-east
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Saudi crown prince discusses developments in Lebanon with president
April 21, 2026
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (File/SPA)
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RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a telephone call from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
During the call, they discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as efforts being made to achieve security and stability.
Aoun expressed his appreciation to the crown prince for Saudi support for Lebanon and the Kingdom’s continued assistance in all circumstances.
The crown prince affirmed the Kingdom’s support for Lebanon in upholding its sovereignty and its efforts to preserve its resources, territorial integrity, and unity.
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah mediated by Washington came into effect last Thursday, but Israeli forces remain deployed in a belt of Lebanese land 5 to 10 km deep along the entire border.
New talks between Lebanon’s and Israel’s US ambassadors will take place Thursday in Washington, according to a US State Department official, after the first direct talks between the two countries in decades were held on April 14.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2640773/saudi-arabia
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Georgia arrests two in Batumi for alleged links to Islamic State
Yousef Bardouka
21 April 2026
SSG operates detaining one of two people linked to the Islamic State in Batumi in April. Screengrab via video.
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Georgia’s State Security Service (SSG) has arrested two individuals — one Georgian national and a foreigner from an undisclosed country — in Batumi for having alleged links to the Islamic State.
The two were arrested as part of a joint operation between the SSG and the Counter Terrorism Centre.
The SSG has shared footage of the pair’s arrest, showing law enforcement officers apprehending them in broad daylight in Batumi. Footage included blurred out maps of the Mediterranean basin.
According to the SSG, the agency was ‘aware’ of the two detainees and had prior information about their entry to Georgia and its purpose.
‘They arrived in Georgia separately and settled in a rented apartment’, the agency’s statement read.
They established that the suspects had ‘joined the ranks’ of the Islamic State, taped an oath of allegiance, and declared unconditional obedience to the terrorist organisation’s leadership.
The SSG’s investigation established that they intended to travel to an unspecified third country to join the ranks of the Islamic State.
During their arrest, the law enforcement seized electronic devices, unregistered SIM cards, mobile phones, Islamic State symbols, masks, and personal documents.
They are being charged with joining a foreign terrorist organisation and aiding terrorism, and could face between 10 to 17 years of imprisonment.
Source: media.org
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https://oc-media.org/georgia-arrests-two-in-batumi-for-alleged-links-to-islamic-state/
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'Asked to hold attack': Trump extends ceasefire, cites Pak request; Tehran says 'losing sides can't dictate terms'
Apr 22, 2026
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced an extension of the ceasefire against Iran, citing a request from Pakistan. Trump's announcement of delaying a planned attack on Iran came hours before the earlier ceasefire deadline was to end.
In his statement, Trump attacked the Iranian government, calling it "seriously fractured", adding that the US blockade at Iranian ports will continue until the US receives a "unified proposal" from Tehran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal. I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."
Iran rejects peace move
The announcement drew a sharp response from Iran, as Mahdi Mohammadi, adviser to Iran’s parliament speaker, dismissed the move.
He remarked that "losing side cannot dictate terms", as he added that Trump's extension "means nothing" to Iran. He also called for Iran to initiate military actions against the US.
In a post on X, he said, "Trump's extension of the ceasefire means nothing. The losing side cannot set the terms. Continuing the siege is no different from bombing and must be responded to militarily. Meanwhile, Trump's extension of the ceasefire certainly means buying time for a surprise strike. It is time for Iran to take the initiative."
Pakistan welcomes ceasefire announcement
Pakistan welcomed the move by Trump, positioning itself as a key diplomatic intermediary. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for his decision as he further added his hopes for a "comprehensive peace deal" between the US and Iran.
On my personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course.
With the trust and confidence reposed in, Pakistan…
"On my personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course," he wrote, "With the trust and confidence reposed in, Pakistan shall continue its earnest efforts for negotiated settlement of the conflict. I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict."
Trump's latest extension comes after an earlier extension of the ceasefire deadline, which was aimed at creating a diplomatic agreement collapsed after a 21-hour-long negotiation between the two parties in Islamabad.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/asked-to-hold-attack-trump-extends-ceasefire-cites-pakistan-request-tehran-says-losing-sides-cant-dictate-terms-us-iran-war-middle-east-west-asia-tension/articleshowprint/130429131.cms
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Terrorism: ‘Nigerian Govt Officials Are Complicit In Facilitating These Atrocities’ – Ted Cruz Tells US Senate
April 22, 2026
United States Senator, Ted Cruz, has accused Nigerian government officials of facilitating violence and terrorism against Christians in the country.
Naija News reports that Cruz made the allegation on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, lamenting that despite the government’s promises to tackle the security crisis, more Christians are being killed.
According to the lawmaker, since 2009, the Islamic jihadists have murdered more than 50,000 Christians in Nigeria, and more than 20,000 churches, schools and religious institutions have been destroyed.
Cruz said while some states are still practising sharia law, the Federal Government has decided to overlook, as terrorists continue to launch mayhem on unsuspecting citizens.
He said, “More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world.
“Since 2009, the Islamic jihadists have murdered more than 50,000 Christians in Nigeria, more than 20,000 churches, schools and religious institutions have been destroyed.
“Scores of Christians and several others were kidnapped. Nigerian officials have, unfortunately, been complicit in facilitating these atrocities. The government looks the other way at the violence.
“The result is unsurprisingly more Islamic jihadists violence”.
Meanwhile, Ted Cruz recently claimed that the Federal Government is aware of policies fueling alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria.
He alleged that the government has, however, chosen media manipulation over accountability.
Speaking via a statement he shared on his X account on Friday, the American lawmaker stated that the Nigerian government has embarked on a PR campaign to fight the allegations levelled against them.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/04/22/terrorism-nigerian-govt-officials-are-complicit-in-facilitating-these-atrocities-ted-cruz-tells-us-senate/
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Malaysia’s strategic neutrality key to navigating US-China trade war, says Tengku Zafrul
22 Apr 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — Malaysia should reform or recalibrate its response to changes in the global architecture, especially in trade, as they occur, said Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) chairman Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
He said the country should also remain mindful of its strategic positioning as a middle power, leveraging its strengths while addressing concerns about energy security, technology, and overall resilience to remain part of both the United States and China’s supply chain ecosystems.
“For MIDA and Malaysia, we know our strengths, but at the same time, we must be ready for challenges ahead,” he said during a panel session at the CNBC Converge Live programme titled ‘Redrawing The Global Trade Map’, hosted by its Morning Call anchor, Morgan Brennan, today.
He said Malaysia needs to continue engaging with the US and China as the two economies account for nearly 30 per cent of the country’s total trade.
Tengku Zafrul further noted that while China remains Malaysia’s and ASEAN’s largest trading partner, the US is Malaysia’s largest investor and export market and possibly for the broader region as well.
“We have been consistent and will engage with both countries, as we are talking about supply chain security and technology security, and they want to have trusted supply chain partners.
“So Malaysia and ASEAN can play that role (as trusted supply chain partners), given our position when we talk about strategic neutrality,” he said.
As an open economy, Tengku Zafrul noted that Malaysia’s strengths in the semiconductor industry, digital economy and energy sector, supported by consistent policies, enabled the country to remain neutral and relevant within global supply chains.
“Things are dynamic. People are watching closely to see how we (Malaysia) navigate the current situation in West Asia.
“I hope that with consistent policies and strategic key decisions being made to look at the longer term, as this will benefit Malaysia and the region as well,” he said.
On energy security amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia is currently in a relatively strong position as a net energy exporter, which places the country on a firm economic footing.
He added that Malaysia’s capital markets remain optimistic, recording a more than 10 per cent year-on-year increase, supported by positive gross domestic product (GDP) growth, investment performance, stable unemployment, and policy flexibility on both fiscal and monetary fronts.
“But we can’t take these things for granted. In my view, we are seeing a reallocation of assets by companies and fund managers in capital markets and in foreign investment for the longer term,” he added. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/04/22/malaysias-strategic-neutrality-key-to-navigating-us-china-trade-war-says-tengku-zafrul/217269
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Islamic Emirate’s Responsibility as Surge in Returnees Observers
April 21, 2026
The International Organization for Migration has recently reported a sharp rise in Afghan migrant returns from Pakistan and Iran, a development that carries profound implications for Afghanistan’s future. In the first quarter of 2026, the number of returnees from Pakistan was fifteen times higher than in the same period of 2025. More than forty-two thousand Afghans crossed back into their homeland in just two weeks, facilitated by the reopening of the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings. Returns from Iran also increased by fifty-six percent, with Pul-e-Abrisham and Islam Qala recording significant surges, though overall figures remain lower than last year. These numbers reflect not only the shifting regional dynamics but also the growing vulnerability of Afghan migrants abroad, who face mounting pressures and insecurity.
The sudden influx of returnees presents Afghanistan with urgent humanitarian challenges. Thousands of families arrive with no homes to return to, requiring immediate shelter solutions to prevent homelessness and overcrowding. Food supplies are under strain, risking hunger and malnutrition among vulnerable groups. Healthcare services must be expanded to meet the needs of returnees, including vaccinations, maternal care, and mental health support. Children among the returnees must be integrated into schools to continue their education, while job creation and vocational training are essential to prevent poverty and instability. These are not abstract concerns but pressing realities that demand swift and coordinated action.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan bears the responsibility to act decisively in addressing these challenges. Providing shelter, food, healthcare, and education should be prioritized to ensure the dignity and well-being of returnees. Collaboration with humanitarian organizations and local communities is vital to expand infrastructure and social services. At the same time, the Islamic Emirate should view this return as an opportunity. Many returnees bring skills, experiences, and resilience that can contribute to rebuilding the nation. By investing in housing projects, healthcare facilities, schools, and employment initiatives, Afghanistan can transform this challenge into a step toward stability and progress. The return of migrants is not merely a humanitarian issue but also a chance to strengthen national unity and harness the potential of citizens who have endured hardship abroad.
The surge in Afghan migrant returns underscores the urgent need for preparedness and compassion. The Islamic Emirate must welcome these citizens with dignity and provide them with the essentials for a secure future. Addressing shelter, food, healthcare, education, and employment must remain central to national policy. By doing so, Afghanistan can safeguard the well-being of returnees, strengthen national unity, and lay the foundation for long-term development. The responsibility is heavy, but the opportunity is equally great to turn the pain of displacement into the promise of renewal for the homeland.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/islamic-emirates-responsibility-as-surge-in-returnees-observers/
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India
Two ‘ISI operatives’ arrested for planning attacks on Delhi-NCR hotels and clubs
Alok Singh
Apr 21, 2026
The Delhi Police Special Cell claimed to have dismantled a criminal module linked to Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist and alleged ISI proxy Shahzad Bhatti, arresting two operatives from Madhya Pradesh. Police said the duo were allegedly planning terror-style shootings at hotels and clubs in Delhi-NCR.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Praveen Tripathi, the accused have been identified as Rajveer (21), a resident of Dabra in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior district, and Vivek Banjara (19), also from Gwalior. He said the duo was recruited through social media and tasked with executing targeted shootings and grenade attacks at crowded locations, including hotels and clubs.
The operation was carried out under the leadership of Inspector Sunil Rajain and supervised by ACP Vivek Kumar Tyagi. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a case under Section 61(2) of the BNS) was registered on March 31 at the Special Cell.
“Vivek was first apprehended on April 16 from Dabra following human intelligence inputs. During sustained questioning, he disclosed critical details that led to the arrest of the main accused, Rajveer, on April 18 from Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan. Rajveer was allegedly preparing to open fire at a prominent hotel in Delhi-NCR, acting on instructions from his handlers directed by Bhatti,” the officer said.
A pistol and six live cartridges were recovered from Rajveer at the time of his arrest. Besides, mobile phones allegedly containing incriminating videos and voice messages were seized, providing further evidence of the conspiracy, police said.
Police said investigations revealed that Rajveer had been in direct contact with an associate of Bhatti, known as ‘Rana Bhai’, who facilitated his recruitment. Rajveer later introduced Vivek to the network.
Police said the duo allegedly attempted to procure weapons from Ahmedabad, though that plan failed. Subsequently, on April 9, both accused traveled to Amritsar, where they received firearms, ammunition, and cash.
“Rajveer allegedly attempted to carry out a shooting at a club in Zirakpur that had received extortion threats, but the weapon malfunctioned. The incident was recorded on video to be sent to their handler,” the officer said
Police said Rajveer later procured another weapon from Punjab and returned to Delhi with plans for another attack before being intercepted, the officer added.
Who is Shahzad Bhatti?
Bhatti is suspected to be operating from Dubai and is closely associated with Balochistan-based gangster Farooq Khokhar.
He was allegedly involved in last year’s grenade attack outside the City Police Station in Punjab’s Gurdaspur. He has allegedly been involved in other criminal activities, including bomb-making and the supply of illegal arms and ammunition to India, Dubai, the US, and Canada.
According to security agencies, he and his associates run a structured terror module that allegedly uses monetary incentives, remote instructions, and disposable foot soldiers to carry out grenade attacks in public places in India.
Explaining their modus operandi, police said the module targets young men through social media — they select potential recruits by scanning their social media profiles and lure them with money. Handlers remotely control the entire operation, including reconnaissance, cash payments, logistics, and target selection.
Bhatti’s name popped up last year after a purported 19-second video on social media showed jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi speaking to him on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha in June 2024. Later, the relationship between both the gangsters soured.
Slew of threats
Bhatti’s name surfaced in a plea filed by Anmol Bishnoi, Lawrence’s younger brother, who feared he would be “targeted and killed” by the former allegedly due to his recent posts on social media. Anmol is in NIA custody after he was deported from the US.
Following this, a video surfaced on Bhatti’s purported Instagram account in which he stated that he had not threatened Anmol, but added that he could “do anything he wanted” and that the Bishnoi brothers are well aware of his power.
In November 2024, Bhatti allegedly threatened Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty over his purported comment against the Muslim community and advised him to apologise within 10-15 days.
In March 2024, he was allegedly involved in orchestrating a grenade attack at the residence of YouTuber Rozer Sandhu in Jalandhar, Punjab, and later posted a video on Instagram claiming responsibility.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-police-special-cell-arrest-operatives-ncr-hotel-shooting-10648368/
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Railways issues demolition notice for mosque at Prayagraj Junction
April 21, 2026
Amajor legal battle is expected in Prayagraj after the North Central Railway issued a notice for the demolition of a mosque near gate number one of the railway station.
According to sources here on Tuesday, the notice states that the mosque has been built on railway land and that major modifications to the railway station are in the pipeline. It adds that the mosque must be vacated to facilitate its demolition.
Through the notice, the mosque authorities have been asked to vacate the premises by April 24. The notice has been sent to the mutawalli of the mosque.
People associated with the mosque said it was constructed before independence and falls under the Waqf. They added that they are preparing to move the Allahabad High Court against the railway notice.
Source: thestatesman.com
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https://www.thestatesman.com/india/railways-issues-demolition-notice-for-mosque-at-prayagraj-junction-1503584452.html
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Pakistan stood 'isolated' after 26/11, now has 'global respectability': Congress slams govt on Pahalgam
22 Apr 2026
The Congress on Wednesday criticised the Modi government on the first anniversary of the Pahalgam terror attack, saying Pakistan had been isolated after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks but has now acquired "global respectability, reflecting what it called a "complete failure" of the prime minister's foreign policy.
The opposition party also called for a reset of the government's foreign policy but said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "will most certainly" not do it.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said April 22nd will always be a day of great pain and intense anguish for every Indian.
"Exactly a year ago, the terror attack orchestrated by Pakistan took place in Pahalgam. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families. We also recall the bravery of the young local ponywallah who was shot dead while trying to save a tourist," Ramesh said.
The LG of Jammu and Kashmir admitted it was an intelligence failure, he claimed. "It is not clear what action was taken on this admission, even though the killers themselves were brought to justice a few months later," Ramesh said.
Pakistan stood isolated after it had carried out the terror attacks in Mumbai in November 2008, he said.
"Its (Pakistan) economy continues to be in shambles, dependent on largesse from external donors. Separatist movements are deeply entrenched in its polity and society. Its politics is dysfunctional and it is the Army that is calling the shots in the country," Ramesh said.
"Yet today, that very same failed state whose army chief had made inflammatory and communally provocative statements just a few days prior to the deadly deed, has now acquired a new global respectability," he said.
"In many ways, this reflects the complete failure of the substance of the Prime Minister's foreign policy and the self-glorifying style of his diplomatic engagement," Ramesh alleged.
"Should he reset? Of course, yes. Will he reset? Most certainly he will not," the Congress leader said.
Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out an attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on this day last year, killing 26 innocent people, mostly tourists from across India.
After the Pahalgam terror attack, India carried out a retaliatory military offensive against Pakistan named Operation Sindoor, in which Indian armed forces destroyed military and terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
Source: newindianexpress.com/
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2026/Apr/22/pakistan-stood-isolated-after-2611-now-has-global-respectability-congress-slams-govt-on-pahalgam
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2021 hate crime case: Why is investigating officer playing hide and seek with court, Supreme Court asks UP
Apr 22, 2026
The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh Police for not adding provisions under Section 153B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), related to hate crime, in the FIR registered in connection to the alleged assault on Muslim cleric Kazeem Ahmad Sherwani in Noida in July 2021 despite its directions.
“They were clear observations… Why is your IO (investigating officer) playing hide and seek with the court,” a bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) K M Nataraj, who appeared for the state.
Section 153B of the erstwhile IPC deals with the offence of imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration.
The SC was hearing a plea filed by Sherwani, seeking a fair investigation and trial.
The court said that the ASG, on February 16, had informed it that from the allegations as set out in the complaint, necessary ingredients of offences punishable under sections 153 B and 295 A of the IPC were made out and the FIR ought to have been registered for the said offences.
Section 295 A pertains to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.
During the hearing on Tuesday, Nataraj informed the bench that the police would add the necessary provisions. Sherwani’s counsel, however, said that Section 153 B was yet to be added to the FIR.
Maintaining that it will summon the IO, the bench said, “Let him come and explain why he is doing all this… We are not satisfied with the compliance affidavit filed by the respondent.”
However, as Nataraj assured the court that the state will comply with the directions by the next date of hearing, the bench allowed it. It will now hear the matter next on May 19.
The bench, meanwhile, told Nataraj, “Please advise your officers, otherwise they will be in trouble. We have no fun in calling them and giving them a dressing down.”
Sherwani had alleged that on July 4, 2021, he was assaulted and abused in the name of his religion by a “screwdriver gang” of criminals, as he had boarded a car to go to Aligarh from Noida. His counsel had alleged that when the FIR was lodged, police had refused to invoke hate crime provisions.
In the February 16 order, the SC had also said that the IO “committed grave error in not applying the appropriate offences…” It had added the probe agency now proposes to “rectify the error by moving an appropriate application to the trial court for return of the original record so that further investigation can be conducted with addition of the applicable offences…”
Source: indianexpress.com
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Battle of Panipat’s legacy: 500-year-old Kabuli Bagh Masjid stands tall
Bhavey Nagpal
Apr 21, 2026
Surrounded by a large number of handloom-making units, narrow alleys and bustling houses, the 500-year-old Mughal-era Kabuli Bagh Masjid still stands tall in Panipat.
Built in 1526 AD, the mosque was built by Mughal ruler Babur to commemorate his victory over Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi of the Lodhi dynasty in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. “Though the prayers at the monument remain shut for decades, the mosque is still preserving the memory of the battle which changed the course of India for years to come,” Ram Mohan Rai, an advocate and public historian, said.
It is said that Babur named the mosque after his wife Mussamat Kabuli Begum. According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the central prayer hall has its cells on either side of the mehrab, which is engraved with verses from the holy Quran.
Faizan Khan, an 18-year-old boy who just finished his schooling, frequently visits the mosque with his friends or relatives. “I come here and explain the history of the mosque to them. It is so inspiring to witness such a huge structure standing erect even after 500 years. For the last three-four years, the security has been strict here, otherwise, we could easily climb the wall to walk till the tomb and fly kites,” Khan said, while trying to translate Arabic verses inscribed in the main hall.
Hazi Kalimudin, an 82-year-old from Bihar’s Araria was visiting the mosque on Monday with his nephew Afzan Khan, who works at a local factory. “We’ve heard about Babur and his battle and were so amazed to see its memorial. Afzan told us that prayers are not allowed here, which is unfortunate,” the octogenarian said.
Standing next to him was Sameer Khan from Saharanpur, who nodded in agreement. “Rab ka ghar band karna galat hai, vo chahe kisi ka bhi rab ho (It is wrong to close the house of God, no matter whose God it is),” Sameer Khan said, who also works at a local handloom unit.
While pointing out some partially damaged structures and filthy sewer canals next to the mosque, Sameer Khan said,”I can see CCTVs, barbed wires and security guards, but there should have been more maintenance and cleanliness to preserve this heritage structure.”
However, 68-year-old Suraj Mal Dhiman, who lives in the next lane and comes to the mosque’s lawn for evening walk daily, disagrees with Sameer Khan. “I’ve been coming here for 15 years and have seen the mosque in its worst state. The place used to be a den of drug addicts, who would damage the structure from inside. Now, there are barbed wires on the newly built boundary wall and CCTVs. A security guard is on 24x7 vigil, without whose permission no one could enter the mosque. There have been maintenance works a few years ago, when a few unused areas were also closed to keep transpassers in check, but there is always scope for more,” he said.
Advocate Rai said that the victory over Lodhi was beyond belief for Babur, who asked his soldiers to bring his body for him. “As a mark of respect, he then built two graves for Lodhi and his loyal elephant, just two kilometers from this mosque. The place is called the Ibrahim Lodhi Tomb. These two places carry the memory of the First Battle of Panipat. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the town was the center of Islamic education. During that period, Bu Ali Shah Kalandar, a saint of Chishti order, also arrived. A 700-year-old tomb and a dargah in his name also exist,” he said.
Vijay Singh, head of history department at Arya PG College here, said, “The battle was decisive for Babur as victory here would mean, march forward to Delhi. Panipat was chosen as a suitable place for battle with Lodhi as there was a huge open area and availability of water source in the form of Yamuna River. The monument built in its memory carries huge relevance, but there has not been much documented history about it.”
Source: hindustantimes.com
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Cleared to vote, but missing from seat as NIA probes SIR protest
Apr 22, 2026
In an ironic turn of events, villagers in Bengal’s Mothabari who’d taken to the streets less than a month back fearing deletion from electoral rolls may now miss voting altogether — not because their names are gone from the voters’ list, but because they have cleared out of the area in fear of falling into the clutches of National Investigation Agency (NIA).
With the central agency stepping up its probe into the April 1 gherao of judicial officers, hundreds of men have fled their homes fearing arrest, leaving behind near-deserted villages days before the area votes on April 23 in the first of Bengal’s two-phased polls.
Two weeks after a midnight standoff in this otherwise obscure pocket of Malda drew national attention, Mothabari presents a stark, altered landscape. Doors remain shut through the day, courtyards lie empty and, in many homes, only women, children and the elderly wait — not for relief, but for the men who have disappeared.
“There are six members in our family. All our names were placed under adjudication, so my husband applied to restore our voting rights. He was never part of any violence. Still, police sent him a notice,” said Jalili Bibi of Sadipur. “Now, four of our names have been cleared, but he is too afraid to return, even to vote.” It’s a similar tale in Jotgopal Kagmari village. Runa Laila’s husband, Md Asmaul Basar (39), who runs an e-rickshaw battery shop, is on the run. “He wasn’t part of any protest. He had gone to deliver an order. Someone has framed him and now the police are looking for him,” she said. “Voting is no longer our priority. I just want him to be safe.”
Arrests spark fear
Across Bengal, around 60.6 lakh names were sent for adjudication, of which 27 lakh were deleted. In Mothabari alone, 79,683 names were listed for judicial scrutiny, with 37,255 eventually deleted.
Seven judicial officers deputed for SIR adjudication work were gheraoed by an agitated mob on April 1. The officers, including women judges, had to remain confined for over nine hours inside a block development office before they were finally rescued. The incident escalated rapidly, prompting the Supreme Court to hand over the probe to NIA on April 6. The fallout, thereafter, has been swift and sweeping.
At least 52 people have been arrested so far. NIA has registered 12 cases and arrests have cut across party lines. An Indian Secular Front (ISF) worker was the first to be picked up by the central agency. That was followed by the arrest of Mothabari ISF candidate Maulana Shahjahan Ali Qadri and AIMIM leader Mofakkerul Islam by state CID. More recently, two Congress functionaries — close aides of Congress candidate Sayem Chowdhury — were arrested by NIA.
Chowdhury himself was detained for questioning from Alinagar and released after a night-long interrogation. He had his mobile phone seized for forensic analysis. In a video message after his release, he alleged political vendetta and denied any role in the violence.
But beyond the political sparring, the ground reality in Mothabari is quieter. The fear is widespread — and palpable. Even as adjudication restored some names, the aftermath of the April 1 violence has created a new barrier, one that no revision process can fix: voters present on paper, but absent on the ground.
Political blame game
In villages here, families say men have been leaving in batches since the NIA intensified its probe. Some have crossed into other districts, others are believed to be hiding in neighbouring states. Many have stopped answering calls.
“We told them not to stay here,” said a middle-aged woman in Singapara, requesting anonymity. “Even if they are innocent, who will listen? If they are picked up, who will take care of us? His name is back on the voter list, but he won’t return to vote,” she says of her husband, who’s fled the area.
The ground report suggests that, in several pockets, a significant number of adult men are currently missing. While there is no official count, the situation is attested to by empty village squares, shuttered shops, and the eerie stillness that settles in by evening.
Political reactions have only sharpened the divide. PM Modi said the episode points to a “Maha Jungle Raj”, while Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused opposition parties of instigating the unrest. BJP says it has moved beyond the SIR row and is focusing on development. “People here need better roads, clean water, a dedicated women’s ward at the govt hospital, better schools and hostels,” said BJP candidate Nibaran Ghosh. “The sitting MLA did little beyond building personal wealth.”
Sabina Yasmin, who had won this seat for Congress in 2011 and 2016 and on a TMC ticket in 2021 was replaced this time by her new party, which has tasked Md Najrul Islam with retaining the seat. Islam blamed BJP for deleting the names of valid voters and accused Congress and ISF of fuelling fear among villagers. “Congress is trying to help BJP by creating conflict among voters who are still eligible,” he said.
Congress candidate Chowdhury, however, alleged a broader conspiracy. “TMC, BJP and NIA have acted together to target us. People can see what is happening,” he said. Caught in the crossfire are residents whose original grievance — the fear of losing their right to vote — now feels overshadowed. “We protested because our names were deleted,” said a young voter whose elder brother has fled. “Now, even if the name is there, the person is not.”
As dusk falls, the silence deepens. In several homes, women sit around mobile phones, waiting for calls from husbands and sons. For a village that rose in protest to reclaim its place on the electoral roll, the coming election may pass with many of its voters missing — not erased by the system this time, but by the consequences of challenging it.
Source: indiatimes.com
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ISF candidate alleges attack, blocks highway
Apr 22, 2026
Kolkata: ISF candidate Arabul Islam was allegedly attacked during a campaign in the Deuli 1 gram panchayat area in Canning East on Tuesday, triggering a two-hour blockade of Basanti Highway.
Sources said ISF supporters were putting up party flags in Kaluyakhali ahead of Arabul's campaign. Tension escalated when a group of Trinamool workers reportedly attacked them. When Arabul reached the spot, Trinamool workers charged at him and vandalised his convoy. Twenty motorcycles were damaged.
Islam alleged that the attack was led by panchayat pradhan Sajahan Molla at the behest of Shaukat Molla and Trinamool candidate Baharul Islam. In protest, ISF supporters blocked the Basanti Highway at Ghatakpukur crossing. However, Shaukat Molla accused Arabul Islam of assaulting his workers. "Arabul attacked our supporters without provocation," he said.
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LeT-linked T Naseer, six others sentenced in Bengaluru prison radicalisation case after pleading guilty
Apr 22, 2026
A special court for terrorism cases Tuesday convicted and sentenced seven people to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for their roles in a terror conspiracy hatched within the Bengaluru Central Prison.
The accused includes the high-profile prime accused, Tadiyandavede Naseer, 47, a Kerala-origin operative linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) with a long history of involvement in terror activities across South India. The sentencing followed the accused’s guilty plea in July 2025. Along with Naseer, the court sentenced Syed Suhail, 24, Mohammed Umar, 30, Zahid Tabrez, 27, Syed Mudassir Pasha, 29, Mohammed Faisal, 29, and Salman Khan, 29.
The court convicted them under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), as well as provisions of the Explosive Substances Act, the Arms Act, and the Indian Penal Code for criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence. Each was also fined Rs 5,000.
While the seven-year sentences will run concurrently, the court noted that the time already served in judicial custody will be set off against their prison terms. For many, this could mean release within three to five years.
However, Naseer, who is already serving a life sentence for a separate Kerala-based terror case and remains an undertrial in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts, will see this new sentence run concurrently with his existing life term.
Naseer’s radicalisation plot
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the case from Bengaluru police in October 2023, alleged that Naseer spent over six years from 2017 to 2023 radicalising fellow inmates.
According to the probe, Naseer allegedly motivated inmates to “take up jihad” upon their release. The group allegedly procured country-made pistols, live ammunition, and digital devices to execute future attacks. The NIA stated that Naseer even orchestrated plans for his own escape while being transported to court.
Naseer was arrested in 2009 by the Bengaluru police for his involvement in the 2008 serial blasts in the city, which resulted in one death. He is one of 18 members of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI who were convicted in 2018 by an NIA court in Kerala. They received a seven-year sentence for participating in a terror training camp in Vagamon, Kerala.
The initial investigation in Bengaluru revealed that Naseer, who has been in prison for over 13 years, radicalised several members of a group of 20 youths. These youths were incarcerated in the Bengaluru Central Prison between 2017 and 2019 for the murder of a businessman in Bengaluru in October 2017.
The plot first came to light in July 2023 when the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested five youths in possession of seven pistols and 45 live bullets. The youths, many of whom were originally imprisoned for the 2017 murder of a Bengaluru businessman, had allegedly fallen under Naseer’s influence while in custody.
Legal strategy
Legal experts said that pleading guilty has become a strategic move for those accused of terror in Karnataka who have faced prolonged detention. By pleading guilty, they secure a definite conviction and, in some cases, an early release if their time served nearly matches the maximum penalty for the offence.
While seven people have been sentenced, a key figure in the module remains at large. Junaid Ahmed, 29, who allegedly helped coordinate the module after being radicalised by Naseer, is believed to have fled to Dubai in 2021. He remains untraced despite ongoing efforts by international and domestic agencies.
The case also involved one Salman Khan, who was extradited from Rwanda in November 2024, and Vikram Kumar (alias Chota Usman), who was linked to the conspiracy while in custody for a separate Delhi Special Cell case.
Source: indianexpress.com
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Mideast
Israeli strike on Lebanon’s Bekaa kills one despite truce: state media
April 22, 2026
BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on Lebanon’s Bekaa region killed one person and wounded two others on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, despite an ongoing truce between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
“One person was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an attack carried out by an enemy drone at dawn on the outskirts of Al-Jabur in West Bekaa,” Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Hezbollah on Tuesday said it had launched rockets and attack drones at a site in northern Israel in response to “blatant” Israeli ceasefire violations, which it said included “attacks on civilians and the destruction of their homes and villages.”
The Israeli military said that day that Hezbollah “launched several rockets” toward soldiers stationed in south Lebanon and that the military struck the launcher in response.
NNA on Wednesday reported Israeli artillery shelling and demolitions in southern towns Israel currently occupies.
Israel conducted huge strikes across Lebanon and invaded the south after Hezbollah entered the Middle East war in support of its backer Iran on March 2.
Despite the truce which began on Friday, Israeli soldiers are still active in south Lebanon, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying on Sunday that they would use “full force” if threatened.
Under the truce terms, Israel says it reserves the right to act against “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Iran fires on container ship in Strait of Hormuz
April 22, 2026
DUBAI: Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard opened fire Wednesday on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, damaging the ship and further raising the stakes as planned ceasefire talks in Pakistan failed to materialize.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the attack happened around 7:55 a.m. in the strait and targeted a container ship.
The UKMTO said a Guard gunboat did not hail the ship before firing.
It said no one was hurt and there was no environmental impact from the attack.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge the assault.
It comes after the US seized an Iranian container ship after shooting it this past weekend and boarded an oil tanker associated with Iran’s oil trade in the Indian Ocean.
Source: arabnews.com
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Iran war means more orders for US defense giants
April 21, 2026
NEW YORK: US defense companies are reporting a surge in demand for military equipment, as the war in the Middle East prompts fresh orders from governments around the world.
Earnings Tuesday signaled that 2026 will be another strong year after a robust 2025 in the wake of continuing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, Russian incursions into European airspace, Chinese maneuverings toward Taiwan and Red Sea tensions.
More governments are ordering military equipment amid rising geopolitical strife. For those who are already in conflict, there is a need to spend more to replenish stocks or maintain machinery.
US defense companies RTX, Northrop Grumman and GE Aerospace all reported increased orders in the first quarter.
While hoping for a “sustained resolution” to the Middle East conflict, RTX CEO Chris Calio told a Wall Street analyst call the company was working with the Pentagon “to accelerate munitions production.”
US officials have announced new agreements in recent months to increase production of the Tomahawk, Patriot and GEM-T missiles, among other weapons systems.
RTX unit Raytheon previously announced five “landmark” Pentagon agreements that Calio described as “vitally important for national security.” The company has already invested nearly $900 million to expand capacity.
“The current landscape clearly underscores the need for munitions, depth, integrated air and missile defense technology and more advanced capabilities to counter evolving threats,” Calio said.
“We’re seeing really, really strong demand, both domestically and internationally,” he added as the company raised several full-year financial projections.
Similarly, GE Aerospace described its first quarter as “strong,” with revenues jumping 25 percent in light of what Chief Executive Larry Culp described as a “dynamic geopolitical landscape.”
Culp said on a conference call the company expects the Middle East war and its effects to persist through the summer.
In its defense programs, GE Aerospace continues “to execute with speed against high-priority military needs in support of US and allied warfighters,” Culp added.
But the company, which builds engines for Boeing and Airbus, also suffered some ill-effects from the war. Cutbacks in travel in the Middle East hit the company’s maintenance business.
NEW FACILITIES
At Northrop Grumman, the objective is also to deliver as quickly as possible on orders for weapons systems.
The company has added 20 new manufacturing facilities in the United States over the last two years, according to CEO Kathy Warden.
“Clearly the conflict with Iran has created a heightened sense of urgency,” she said.
Calio of RTX said the recent contracts with the Pentagon “will give the kind of long-term visibility that the supply chain will need to invest, which is critically important.”
US undersecretary of defense Jules Hurst said President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2027 budget requested $1.5 trillion, describing the demand as a “generational investment in the United States military, the arsenal of freedom,” he said at a Pentagon briefing.
“This 42 percent increase will supercharge our defense industrial base by expanding production of major weapon systems while strengthening supply chains and supporting tens of thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses,” Hurst said.
Boeing, which also has a defense business, will report earnings Wednesday, while Lockheed Martin is set to release results on Thursday.
Source: arabnews.com
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Attacks by pro-Iran militias strain Iraq’s sovereignty, fray ties with Gulf Arab neighbors
JONATHAN GORNALL
April 21, 2026
LONDON: On March 26, representatives of the US and Iraqi governments gathered in Irbil for the first meeting of the new US-Iraq High Joint Coordination Committee, set up at Washington’s urging in a bid to keep Iraq out of the current conflict in the region.
The following day, the US Embassy in Baghdad put out a statement declaring that the two sides had “decided to intensify cooperation to prevent terrorist attacks and ensure that Iraqi territory is not used as a launching point for any aggression,” against the Iraqi people, Iraqi security forces, US personnel “or neighboring and regional states.”
For those familiar with the complexities of Iraq’s security landscape and its many political alliances and loyalties, the statement sounded overly optimistic.
The reality was better framed by two events that unfolded within a couple of hours on March 14. The first was an airstrike on a house in Baghdad’s Karrada District, presumed, but not confirmed, to have been carried out by the US, in a failed attempt to kill Ahmad Al-Hamidawi, the leader of Kataib Hizballah, a prominent Iran-backed Iraqi militia.
There is a $10 million bounty on Al-Hamidawi’s head, issued by the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice Scheme. His group, it says, has for years “repeatedly targeted US personnel and facilities in Iraq with IEDs, rockets, and unmanned aircraft systems, kidnapped US citizens, and killed innocent Iraqi civilians.”
Shortly after the airstrike, which killed three members of Kataib Hizballah, the US Embassy in Baghdad was hit by a drone for the second time since the Iran war began in an apparent act of retaliation.
The embassy issued an alert urging US citizens to leave Iraq and not to come to the embassy or the consulate in Irbil.
The complexity of Iraqi politics is typified by the prolonged maneuvering over who will be the country’s next prime minister, a post that is supposed to be filled by the end of this week. The Coordination Framework, the largest bloc of Shiite parties, which controls over half of the seats in parliament, is still yet to agree on who should be its candidate.
Whoever leads Iraq will be faced with the same difficult task of balancing relations with Washington and Tehran that has dogged every Iraqi government since December 2005, when Iraqis voted for their country’s first full-term government and parliament since the US invasion in 2003.
But now, as outrage grows among Gulf Cooperation Council states, which have been on the receiving end of missile and drone attacks by pro-Iran militias in Iraq, the government in Baghdad is facing increasing pressure from its Arab neighbors to get its house in order.
Since the US-Israel war with Iran began on Feb. 28, the world has largely focused on the unprovoked rocket and drone attacks launched against the Gulf states by Iran.
What has often been overlooked beyond the region is the large number of attacks that have been launched against the Gulf states by pro-Iran groups within Iraq — a country with which the GCC states are fast losing patience.
On April 12, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry summoned Iraq’s ambassador to protest the drone attacks on the Kingdom and other Gulf states emanating from Iraqi territory, and to urge Baghdad to get a grip on the situation.
If it did not, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati warned, Saudi Arabia “will take all necessary measures to defend its security and protect its territory.”
The following day, that message was repeated by Bahrain’s foreign ministry. Protesting the “continued malicious drone attacks” suffered by Bahrain and other Gulf states, it told Iraq’s charge d’affaires that it also reserved the right to take “all necessary measures” to protect itself.
Two days later, on April 15, the UAE followed suit, handing Iraq’s charge d’affaires a “strongly worded note of protest,” condemning “the continuous unprovoked terrorist attacks launched from Iraqi territory, carried out by factions, militias, and armed terrorist groups affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The attacks posed “serious challenges to ... the fraternal ties between Iraq and GCC countries,” the note added, stressing “the importance of Iraq fulfilling its role in strengthening security and stability in the region.”
However, Iraqi politics is riddled with multiple parties and blocs that are allied to, or at best aligned with, pro-Iran militias, whose primary allegiance is with Tehran, not Baghdad.
Following Iraq’s parliamentary elections in November, the pro-Iran Coordination Framework emerged as the largest bloc in parliament. Overall, Shiite parties now hold 187 of the parliament’s 329 seats, with Sunnis trailing with just 77.
The reality of Iraq’s perilous situation was spelled out in an analysis published by the Atlantic Council on April 2.
Iran-backed militias, wrote Victoria J. Taylor, director of the Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative, “are destroying Iraq.”
The strength of the militias, she added, “is in part the fault of successive Iraqi governments, which have allowed them to penetrate the security, political, and economic institutions of the state.”
Taylor, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran under the Biden and second Trump administrations, concluded that “the continued existence of the militias presents the greatest risk to Iraq itself.”
“Although Iraq’s recent prime ministers have made strides in repairing relations with Gulf and regional partners, the militia attacks on the Gulf and Jordan risk making Iraq a pariah state once again.”
The task before the Iraqi government was, she conceded, “perilous.”
“Confronting the militias is akin to confronting an organization like the Sicilian mafia — groups so violent and with such deep penetration across multiple layers of society that Iraq’s legitimate security services, the judiciary, and even top leaders fear for their lives.”
Nevertheless, she added, “there is simply no other choice ... It’s time for Iraq to take back control of its country and its future.”
Increasingly, said David Schenker, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute and a former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, “Iraq resembles Lebanon” and is in danger of becoming a failed state.
In Iraq, “there is a huge amount of interference, money laundering, criminality and plain old influence by Iran,” he said.
“They’ve got a situation where the Hashd (the Popular Mobilization Forces, created to counter Daesh) is now institutionalized as part of the Iraqi Armed Forces.
“The real problem are the six or seven factions within the Hashd that are terrorist organizations that are on the government payroll, control the Hashd, are not answerable to the government and in fact are independent actors, oftentimes in the service of Iran.
“This is a third column and the central government claims to condemn their activities while at the same time it underwrites their salaries.”
It is, he says, “obviously a challenging situation for Iraq. As Adil Abdul-Mahdi, the former prime minister of Iraq, used to say, ‘the United States is our friend, but Iran is our neighbor.’”
But the Gulf states are also Iraq’s neighbors — and they are running out of patience.
“In recent years, the Gulf states have worked very hard to embrace Iraq, to emphasize Iraq’s Arabism and to try to drag it back into the Arab system,” Schenker said.
“Potentially, Iraq stands to benefit greatly from this, with direct investment and other economic dividends.
“But because Baghdad is funding these organizations, which are part of the ruling coalition and sit in government, I think the frustration of the Gulf states now is going to be reflected in their policies, which will not seek to help Iraq to help itself.”
What Iraq needs now, he added, is “somebody who is an Iraqi nationalist, who seeks a prosperous, sovereign country. But that is something that can never happen while you have militias dominating.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Hezbollah fires at Israel, citing truce breaches
April 21, 2026
BEIRUT/JERUSALEM: Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it fired rockets and drones into northern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the Israeli military of violating a ceasefire ahead of US-mediated talks between the Israeli and Lebanese governments this week.
The Israeli military earlier said Iran-aligned Hezbollah had fired several rockets toward its troops operating in southern Lebanon, in what it described as a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement. It was not immediately clear if the incidents were the same.
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah mediated by Washington came into effect last Thursday, but Israeli forces remain deployed in a belt of Lebanese land 5 to 10 km (3 to 6 miles) deep along the entire border.
Israel has said it aims to create a buffer zone to shield northern Israel from attacks by Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim group.
Hezbollah, in its statement on Tuesday, accused Israel of attacking civilians and destroying homes in breach of the truce. It said it fired at a position in northern Israel that had been striking southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military said it struck the launcher from which the rockets were fired, and that sirens in northern Israel were likely sounded after the interception of a drone launched from Lebanon.
The Israeli military did not respond to a question on whether Hezbollah’s announced attack was the same as the one the Israeli military had announced earlier.
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Pakistan PM welcomes US-Iran ceasefire extension
April 22, 2026
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday thanked US President Donald Trump for accepting the country’s request to extend the ceasefire in the US-Israeli war on Iran to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course.
“I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict,” Sharif said in post on X.
Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire to give negotiations more time, until Iran submits a proposal.
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Iran executes eighth man over 2026 protests
April 21, 2026
PARIS: Iranian authorities on Tuesday executed a man convicted of helping to set fire to a major mosque in Tehran during protests in January, the judiciary said.
Amir Ali Mirjafari was accused of setting fire to the Gholhak Grand Mosque and also working with the Israeli espionage agency Mossad, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported.
He is the eighth person to be hanged over the January demonstrations within just over a month.
“By baselessly linking his participation in the January protests to Israel and the US, the Islamic Republic continues its strategy of framing domestic civil unrest as foreign espionage to expedite the execution of protesters,” Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said.
It was not clear when Mirjafari was arrested and “no independent information is available concerning him or his case,” it added.
IHR confirmed he was the eighth man put to death over the protests, after fast-track trials in line with the instructions of hard-line judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.
Since executions resumed on March 19, Iranian authorities have also executed eight members, all men, of the People’s Mujahedin opposition group which is banned in Iran.
According to rights groups, one woman named as Bita Hemmati has been sentenced to death over the protests on charges of throwing concrete blocks from a building onto police.
Source: arabnews.com
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Arab World
Govt reiterates ban on visit-visa holders performing Hajj
April 22, 2026
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has warned that fines of up to SR100,000 ($27,000) will be imposed on those who transport visit-visa holders to Makkah to perform Hajj.
Vehicles used to transport these people will be confiscated, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
The ministry has urged the public to comply with Hajj regulations, to maintain pilgrim safety and security.
The ministry urged members of the public to report offenders on 911 in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and 999 throughout the Kingdom.
This year’s Hajj is expected to take place between May 25 and 30, depending on the sighting of the moon.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi ambassador presents credentials to Kyrgyz President
April 22, 2026
BISHKEK: Saudi Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Iyad Hakim presented his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to President Sadyr Japarov of the Kyrgyz Republic.
During the reception, Iyad Hakim conveyed the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and their wishes for continued progress and prosperity for the Kyrgyz people to Sadyr Japarov.
The Kyrgyz president said that Saudi Arabia holds an important position in the international arena, both politically and economically, and is one of the leading countries in the Middle East and an important partner for the Kyrgyz Republic.
Japarov affirmed that his country attaches great importance to friendship, trust, and mutual understanding, as well as seeking to develop them in various fields.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi crown prince welcomes arrival of Hajj pilgrims at Cabinet meeting
April 21, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed the arrival of Hajj pilgrims in the Kingdom from around the world on Tuesday.
The crown prince reaffirmed the Kingdom’s pride in serving the two holy mosques and visitors to them at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Pilgrims from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, and Turkiye have been arriving in the Kingdom during the last week, marking the start of the annual pilgrimage season.
Prince Mohammed also ordered that all resources and capabilities be utilized to ensure the success of the organizational, security, and preventative plans adopted for this year’s Hajj season, so that the best facilities and services for pilgrims can be provided in Makkah, Madinah, the Holy Sites, and at air, land, and sea ports of entry.
Turning to regional matters, the Cabinet said it is following developments in maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
It affirmed that the Kingdom’s decades-long investments in energy security and alternative export routes have strengthened its ability to support the world with energy in the most difficult circumstances imposed by geopolitical tensions in the region and their repercussions on global supply chains.
Last-minute ceasefire talks between the US and Iran looked increasingly uncertain on Tuesday as a two-week truce is set to expire and both countries said they were prepared to resume fighting if no deal is reached.
Source: arabnews.com
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Lyrid meteor shower set to illuminate Saudi skies on Wednesday night
RASHID HASSAN
April 21, 2026
RIYADH: After nearly 16 weeks of quiet skies since the last good opportunity to catch sight of a decent meteor shower, the wait is almost over for astronomers and amateur stargazers in Saudi Arabia.
Dozens of named meteor showers recur annually at approximately the same time each year, 10 of which are generally considered particularly worth watching. The most recent, the Quadrantid shower, peaked in early January and there has not been much activity since then.
But the Noor Astronomical Society said on Tuesday that the Lyrid meteor shower is expected to peak in the skies over Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab world overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Lyrids is one of the oldest recorded meteor showers, the society noted, with historical records indicating it was first documented more than 2,700 years ago, in 687 B.C., by Chinese astronomers.
Issa Al-Ghafili, president of the society, said that the shower will be viewable from midnight until dawn with the naked eye, with no need for telescopes or other advanced equipment, and is best observed from open locations well away from light pollution.
The source of the Lyrid shower is particles of dust from Thatcher, a comet discovered in April 1861 by amateur astronomer A.E Thatcher, that is next expected to return to Earth’s vicinity in about 2283.
“When you observe a Lyrid meteor, you are watching a tiny piece of Comet Thatcher entering our atmosphere and vaporizing at an average speed of 50 kilometers per second,” Abouazza El-Mhamdi, an associate professor in the physics and astronomy department at King Saud University’s College of Science, told Arab News.
“The shower happens each April as Earth moves through the dusty trail left by this long-period comet that takes about 415 years to complete one orbit.
“This annual celestial display interestingly peaks around Earth Day, on April 22, a fitting reminder that our planet exists within a dynamic, interconnected cosmos where the sky above and the ground beneath are forever linked.”
The shower gets the name Lyrid from the fact that the paths of the meteors, if extended back, appear to diverge from a spot in the sky about 9 degrees to the lower right of the brilliant bluish-white star Vega, which is in the constellation of Lyra, the Lyre.
The average Lyrid shower produces about 15 to 20 meteors an hour at its peak. Sometimes, however, activity intensifies and it can produce up to 100 meteors an hour in what is called an “outburst” but it is difficult to predict when that might happen.
For about a day either side of peak activity, about five to 10 Lyrids can usually be seen each hour by an observer under clear skies. The best time to observe the Lyrids is in the pre-dawn hours, when the shower’s radiant (the point in the night sky from which meteors appear to originate, caused by the perspective of Earth moving through the debris stream) is at its highest in the sky. As the morning progresses, the radiant continues to climb but the approaching sunrise and brightening sky increasingly hinder visibility.
Fortunately, the moon will not interfere with this year’s display, El-Mhamdi said, as it will set after midnight and leave the sky dark for peak viewing.
Source: arabnews.com
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Kingdom uncovers ancient marketplace, mosque, Chinese pottery at Al-Serrain archaeological site
April 21, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission has found a marketplace structure and the remains of a mosque at the Al-Serrain archeological site, along with rare pottery bearing a Chinese stamp, discoveries that reflect the depth of the site’s commercial activity in ancient times.
The commission has announced the results of the fourth season of the joint Saudi-Chinese mission in Al-Lith governorate in the Makkah region, which aims at documenting the site and revealing its commercial relations and cultural artifacts, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
Excavation works during the season revealed architectural extensions in several excavation squares within the site’s grid, including residential, service, and storage units, as well as pottery hearths reflecting aspects of daily life.
They also uncovered a wall surrounding the site along its southern, northern, and western sides, allowing a clearer understanding of the site’s organization and urban boundaries.
Excavation within the architectural context also revealed the remains of a mosque on the southwest side of the site.
The season documented a variety of archeological finds, including pottery of various types, clay incense burners, stone tools, agate beads, and glass, as well as organic materials such as shells and animal bones, reflecting the diversity of the economic and daily activities of the site’s inhabitants.
Among the most notable documented discoveries is a fragment of a Chinese ceramic jar dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127), distinguished by remnants of a decorative stamp bearing damaged and illegible Chinese characters.
This is considered archeological evidence of trade connections between southern China and the Red Sea coast during the Islamic era, the SPA added.
The Al-Serrain site is believed to have been one of the most prominent ports on the Red Sea coast. It played a pivotal role in trade, Hajj, and navigation between Yemen, Makkah, East Asia, and Africa, reaching its peak of cultural prosperity during the fourth and fifth centuries A.H. (about 913-1106).
The site witnessed urban and commercial activity from the third century A.H. and contributed to linking maritime trade networks between the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, and the ports of the Islamic world, benefiting from its location at the mouth of a seasonal valley that provided a natural environment suitable for human settlement.
The commission has affirmed the continuation of excavation and study works at the Al-Serrain site in the coming seasons as it aims to build a comprehensive scientific understanding of the history of settlement and urban development. It also aims to highlight the cultural value of the site as one of the most important historic ports on the Red Sea coast.
Source: arabnews.com
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Europe
Russia knows how Ukraine conflict will end – Putin
21 Apr, 2026
Russia’s adversaries are busy thinking about how to “shape” the country’s victory in the Ukraine conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested.
The president made the remarks in response to comments by the head of the local legislature of the city of Nizhny Novgorod, Evgeny Chintsov, during a meeting with representatives of the country’s municipalities. Chintsov said that “nobody, including the enemy” doubts that the conflict will result in Russia’s victory.
Putin agreed but appeared to caution against making overly bold statements prematurely.
“Yes, they are just thinking about how to shape it all; we’ll see. However, military action is always a very complicated and dangerous thing. We know how everything will end, but we will not make any public statements about it. We will simply strive to achieve the goals we have set,” the president said.
Early in the conflict, Moscow outlined the goals it seeks to achieve through the Ukraine operation and maintains they have remained unchanged ever since. These include demilitarization and denazification of the country and protection of Russian speakers, as well as ensuring Ukrainian neutrality. Additional goals that emerged later also include the recognition of the formerly Ukrainian regions that voted to join Russia.
Moscow has repeatedly signaled openness to resolve the hostilities through diplomacy, should its demands be met, while maintaining its readiness to achieve its goals by force should the negotiating efforts ultimately fail. Territorial issues seem to have become the main obstacle in the negotiations, as Kiev has repeatedly refused to withdraw its forces from the parts of Donbass it still controls.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/638856-putin-ukraine-conflict-end/
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Greek interests ship was hit in Oman by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
April 22 2026
A Greek-owned ship under the Liberian flag has been hit 15 nautical miles northwest of the coast of Oman.
The UK Maritime Transport Safety Office, UKMTO, said earlier that the captain of the container ship reported that a Revolutionary Guards speedboat opened fire, causing “severe damage” to the bridge without prior radio warning.
According to the UKMTO statement, there was no fire on board, and all crew members are unharmed.
Source: protothema.gr
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https://en.protothema.gr/2026/04/22/greek-interests-ship-hit-in-oman/
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UK special forces resigning en masse over war crimes probe – media
21 Apr, 2026
Soldiers from the UK’s elite SAS force are resigning in significant numbers over fears of prosecution following human rights investigations into alleged war crimes, British media reports.
The probe largely focuses on British special forces operations in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2013, as well as missions in Syria and Northern Ireland.
A public inquiry is examining claims that troops carried out extrajudicial killings during night raids, including the shooting of detainees and unarmed civilians, and whether evidence was falsified and senior officers failed to investigate or concealed wrongdoing.
Members of 22 SAS, the British Army’s elite special forces unit, have applied for “premature voluntary release,” multiple outlets reported on Monday, citing insiders. The exact number of departures has not been disclosed, though at least two squadrons (D and G) are understood to have been affected.
“Morale is s**t at the moment,” one insider was quoted as saying. Another source described “considerable disquiet” within the regiment.
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Williams told LBC radio on Tuesday the growing number of departures from 22 SAS was driven by concerns among serving troops that actions during operations could later lead to investigations or potential arrest under human rights law.
Last month, it was revealed that 242 special forces troops, including 120 serving personnel, were being pursued by lawyers as part of human rights inquiries, according to a memo shared with SAS and Special Reconnaissance Regiment associations. The investigation, which some within the regiment have labeled a “witch hunt,” examines UK secret operations, with troops facing legal sanctions if they fail to comply, the memo said.
In 2022, a BBC Panorama investigation identified 54 people shot dead in suspicious circumstances by one SAS unit during a six-month tour of Helmand province, with unarmed Afghan men allegedly “routinely shot dead in cold blood” and weapons planted on them.
An inquiry heard in December that the director of UK Special Forces made a “conscious decision” to cover up potential war crimes in Afghanistan, according to the Morning Star. A UKSF officer identified as N1466 said the director “knew what was happening on the ground” and sought to “cover this up.”
In one incident presented to the inquiry, special forces fired into a mosquito net until there was no movement, only to later find women and children, according to inquiry documents. The shooting was allegedly covered up and the soldier awarded.
A review prepared for the inquiry found a Royal Military Police investigation into alleged unlawful killings was undermined by delays and poor resourcing, according to Action on Armed Violence. Operation Northmoor, the main investigation, began only in March 2014 despite concerns emerging as early as 2011, and was closed in July 2019 in what the review described as an “inappropriate and premature” decision, leaving key lines of inquiry unexamined.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/638840-uk-sas-troops-resign-war-crimes-probe/
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Gunfire as Ukrainian mobilization squad caught in anti-bribe sting
21 Apr, 2026
Several Ukrainian mobilization officers accused of taking bribes have been arrested in a dramatic roadside raid in the southern city of Odessa. Video footage reportedly of the incident shared by local media shows security service of Ukraine (SBU) officers descending on a van at a traffic light in the city as gunfire rings out.
The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of the country’s mobilization practices as its battlefield losses mount.
Images posted on local Telegram channels on Tuesday show several men in military uniform lying face down on a busy road in broad daylight as armed officers carry out the detentions. Gunfire can be heard during the operation.
The detainees are reportedly officers from a Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC), suspected of attempting to forcibly mobilize a man before allegedly demanding $30,000-50,000 from him under threat of weapons, despite him reportedly having a legal deferment. Local media, citing sources, reported that the victim had alerted the SBU in advance.
Odessa’s regional recruitment center confirmed that its personnel had been detained. The heads of the regional and district recruitment centers have been suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation. A criminal case has been opened, and a service inquiry is ongoing.
Reports and videos have been mounting across Ukraine of violent conscription practices known as ‘busification’ – snatching men off the streets and then shoving them into unmarked minibuses. Conscription officers have been recently caught on video attacking a 16-year-old boy in Odessa. Last month, a local resident fought off four Odessa TCC officers using a heavy metal chain, smashing their vehicle’s windows. In Kharkov, armed conscription officers reportedly shot and killed a man during an attempted forced mobilization in March.
With volunteer rates plummeting and the military suffering heavy casualties, less than 10% of new recruits join voluntarily, Ukrainian lawmaker Vadim Ivchenko admitted last month. Desertion and draft evasion remain rampant, with an estimated 2 million potential conscripts on a wanted list.
Moscow has accused Kiev of fighting “to the last Ukrainian” to serve Western interests. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov estimated that Ukraine had lost nearly 500,000 servicemen in 2025 alone, depriving Kiev of the ability to replenish its ranks even through compulsory mobilization.
Source: rt.com
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70-year-olds fit enough for service – German reservist chief
21 Apr, 2026
The upper age limit for military reservists in Germany should be raised to 70 given that people stay fit longer, Bastian Ernst, the newly elected president of the country’s Reservists’ Association, has said.
Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Germany has pursued a major recruitment drive, aiming to increase Bundeswehr personnel from the current 186,000 to 260,000 active soldiers and another 200,000 reservists by the mid-2030s.
While Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government has cited a perceived ‘Russian threat,’ President Vladimir Putin has dismissed as “nonsense” claims that Moscow harbors aggressive intentions against NATO states.
In an interview with the RND media outlet published on Tuesday, Ernst stated that “we should raise the age limit for reservists from 65 to 70.”
“The retirement age is rising anyway. People are staying fit longer,” he explained.
“If we are lamenting a shortage of young recruits, then we should also address the other end of the age pyramid,” he argued.
Ernst also called for scrapping rules that leave it up to reservists’ employers whether to allow them to participate in military training when called up.
Late last year, another EU and NATO member state, Finland, announced that it would raise the upper age limit for rank-and-file military reservists from 50 to 65, starting in 2026.
The UK government has similarly hiked the maximum liability age for reservists from 55 to 65.
Andre Denk, the head of the European Defense Agency (EDA), suggested earlier this month that compulsory military service could be reinstated in the EU.
He predicted that his home country of Germany would likely go down this path eventually. On January 1, a new law came into force introducing a voluntary model of recruitment. The legislation has sparked protests, with critics saying that it could potentially be a prelude to reinstating conscription, which was suspended in 2011.
Commenting on Germany’s continued military buildup earlier in April, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that it could lead to another tragedy on a global scale, referring to the Second World War.
Source: rt.com
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Zelensky says failure of US envoys to visit Kyiv is 'disrespectful'
22 Apr, 2026
Laura Gozzi
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he considered visits by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow but not Kyiv "disrespectful".
The pair visited the Russian capital late last year as ceasefire talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine gained pace, and again in January.
Witkoff, who has been to Moscow eight times, met Vladimir Putin on many occasions.
Neither he nor Kushner, however, has ever visited Kyiv in an official capacity.
"It's disrespectful [for them] to come to Moscow and not Kyiv, it's just disrespectful," Zelensky said in an interview with a Ukrainian outlet.
"I understand we have complex logistics... If they don't want to, we can meet in other countries," he added.
Witkoff, a former real estate magnate, is Donald Trump's special envoy and Kushner is the US president's son-in-law.
Earlier in April Zelensky said the two were planning on visiting Ukraine, but that trip never materialised amid the US-Israel war with Iran.
The last trilateral summit between Russia, the US and Ukraine was in mid-February.
Less than two weeks later, the US and Israel began striking Iran and attention switched away from ending the Ukraine war, which has been raging for more than four years.
Witkoff and Kushner are part of the US negotiating team travelling to Pakistan for ceasefire talks with Iran, and Zelensky acknowledged that the attention of the US was on the Middle East.
"But... in any case, for us it is important to continue cooperating with the Americans," he added.
Ceasefire talks gained pace in autumn 2025, when it emerged that Russian and US officials had been working on a plan to end the war in Ukraine that appeared to include several terms unfavourable to Kyiv.
Ukraine pushed to be involved in the talks, and several meetings and summits ensued.
By February, both Moscow and Kyiv said they had reached an agreement on some "military issues", including the location of the front line and ceasefire monitoring.
Other issues remain unresolved, including Ukraine's demand that Russia returns the Ukrainian children it forcibly deported since the start of the war, and Moscow's insistence on a "regime change" in Kyiv.
But the key matter is the status of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Moscow's demand for sovereign Ukrainian territory in exchange for an end to the war is unacceptable to Kyiv, and neither side is willing to budge - leaving the talks at a dead-end.
"We are looking for a compromise between two completely polar positions," said Kyrylo Budanov, Zelensky's chief of staff, in February. "We have not yet found it."
In the end, he added, both Kyiv and Moscow will "have to acknowledge one of two things: either we find a solution and end this war, or we all equally take responsibility for admitting that we didn't find a solution and continue to kill one another - something we do quite efficiently and professionally."
The war, which started when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has been an everyday reality for Ukrainians for over four years.
Large swathes of eastern Ukraine are under Russian control, and Kyiv and Moscow's troops continue to engage in direct battle on a long front line stretching from Luhansk in the north-east to Kherson in the south.
Cities across Ukraine come under regular aerial attacks, with Russia employing hundreds of drones and missiles that kill civilians and damage infrastructure.
On one night last week Russia launched more than 700 drones and missiles in multiple waves, killing at least 18 people.
Meanwhile Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure with long-range drones, hitting ports, factories, depots and oil terminals far into Russian territory.
According to Reuters calculations, at least 20% of Russia's total export capacity was out of order in early April following the attacks. But the energy crisis caused by the war Iran - has so far resulted in financial gains for Russia as it boosted its oil revenue, although the country's GDP continues to fall.
Although much of the EU has weaned itself off Russian oil, Hungary and Slovakia are still buying it, pumped via Ukrainian territory through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline.
Druzhba was shut earlier this year after Ukraine said the infrastructure was damaged following a Russian strike in January.
The interruption led Hungary's outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to hold up a €90bn (£78bn) European Union loan for Ukraine, but on Tuesday Zelensky said the pipeline had been repaired.
EU countries could greenlight the much-needed loan for Ukraine on Wednesday if Hungary lifts its veto.
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9v420y190o
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North America
CAIR Welcomes New Report Detailing ‘Dehumanizing’ Anti-Muslim Campaign by Public Officials
April 21, 2026
Texas and Florida officials feature prominently in a coordinated anti-Muslim social media campaign
(WASHINGTON, DC, 4/21/2026) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed new research detailing how 46 Republican federal and state officials are contributing to an anti-Muslim campaign.
Research authors note the campaign includes “explicit endorsement of, or incitement to, violence against Muslims” and “[l]anguage that, when issued by state actors, amounts to the advocacy of ethnic cleansing through policy.” (pg. 18)
In “Manufacturing the Muslim Threat,” researchers at the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) found that the monthly volume of anti-Muslim extremist posts by these 46 public officials “increased by 1,450 percent” in a 15-month period. The researchers say, “the speed and scale of escalation” of this social media posting is their most “significant finding.”
“These self-appointed conformity police are using their public offices to impose a narrow view of how other Americans must think, look, worship, and trace their ancestry to – or face being excluded,” said CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor. “Public officials who promote rhetoric that can incite violence or evoke ethnic cleansing must be rejected by all who believe American democracy should work for everyone, not just a select few approved by these 46 Republicans.”
According to the CSOH report, officials from Texas and Florida are the most prolific voices in the dehumanization campaign. Five officials account for 73 percent of the content: Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), Rep. Keith Self (R-TX), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN). Texas officials produced 40 percent of the posts while Florida officials account for 31 percent. (pg. 11-12)
CAIR designated an anti-Muslim caucus founded by Reps. Self and Roy as an anti-Muslim hate group in February. CAIR has previously designated Sen. Tuberville, Rep. Ogles, and Rep. Fine for their efforts to dehumanize Muslims.
In January, a study published by Equality Labs showed that more than 4.7 million Islamophobic social media posts targeted Muslim communities in the United States in 2025. That report also found that Islamophobic content is increasingly echoed by certain public officials.
In March, CAIR’s annual status of Muslim civil rights in the United States report noted several conclusions:
Islamophobia remained at an all-time high in the United States in 2025. CAIR received 8,683 complaints nationwide in 2025, the highest number of single-year complaints CAIR has recorded since our first civil rights report covering 1996 was published.
Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Texas were identified as national standouts in this record-setting year.
Anti-Muslim narratives more clearly resurfaced in 2025, particularly the notion that the religious principles followed by Muslims are inherently threatening and anti-American.
Government officials used collective and ideological punishment to target both non-citizens and citizens who are perceived to be ethnically or ideologically undesirable.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-new-report-detailing-dehumanizing-anti-muslim-campaign-by-public-officials/
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Activists demand release of Palestinian leader detained in US
21/04/2026
Numerous Muslim civil rights organizations assembled before the United States Supreme Court to insist upon the immediate freedom of Salah Sarsour, a prominent Palestinian community figure apprehended by federal immigration authorities on March 30 after residing lawfully in America for over three decades. Federal agents numbering over ten intercepted Sarsour, who serves as director of Milwaukee's Islamic Society and holds a board position with American Muslims for Palestine, while he operated his vehicle in proximity to his residence late last month, according to statements from his religious institution.
Authorities initially transported the detainee to a holding center in Chicago prior to relocating him to a correctional complex in Indiana. Religious representatives confirmed the community organizer has maintained lawful permanent resident status throughout thirty-two years of American residency, establishing deep familial and institutional roots within the Midwestern region.
Demonstrators converge on supreme court
The Council on American-Islamic Relations alongside the US Council of Muslim Organizations convened a unified media briefing on Monday to urgently request liberation of the detained leader, asserting that immigration authorities specifically selected him for detention due to his vocal support for Palestinian self-determination. Demonstrators carrying placards and legal petitions gathered at the nation's highest judicial venue to pressure authorities regarding what they characterize as an arbitrary deprivation of liberty violating constitutional protections.
Organizers emphasized that Sarsour's detention represents an alarming escalation in the criminalization of constitutionally protected speech, particularly targeting individuals who organize humanitarian support for Palestinian populations. The coalition demanded federal authorities disclose specific charges warranting detention while expediting judicial review of the immigration hold.
Allegations of political targeting
Advocacy groups maintain that Sarsour's apprehension constitutes deliberate retaliation for his leadership role within organizations critically examining American foreign policy toward the occupied Palestinian territories. Representatives from American Muslims for Palestine stated that federal immigration enforcement has increasingly monitored and interrogated activists affiliated with solidarity movements, suggesting systematic surveillance of protected political activities.
Legal observers note that targeting longtime permanent residents for nonviolent advocacy contradicts established immigration precedents protecting residential stability for individuals without criminal convictions. The case has attracted attention from constitutional scholars examining the intersection of immigration enforcement and First Amendment protections for political expression.
Broader pattern of immigration enforcement
Following the current administration's assumption of power last year, federal authorities have increasingly scrutinized individuals supporting Palestinian causes, refusing entry to foreign nationals and attempting to expel current residents who publicly advocate for Palestinian rights. Immigration attorneys document numerous instances where activists faced visa denials, secondary inspection harassment, and detention based solely upon their solidarity with liberation movements in the Levant.
Civil liberties monitors warn that such enforcement patterns create a chilling effect upon protected speech, potentially violating international human rights obligations regarding nonrefoulement and political expression. The Sarsour case has emerged as a focal point for broader resistance against what Muslim American organizations describe as the politicization of immigration courts to suppress dissent regarding Middle Eastern policy.
Source: yenisafak.com
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https://en.yenisafak.com/turkiye/groups-demand-release-of-detained-palestinian-leader-salah-sarsour-3717348
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Record-Breaking 1,000+ Muslim Delegates Participate in 11th Annual National Muslim Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill
April 21, 2026
The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), the nation’s largest American Muslim civil society umbrella organization, today announced the successful completion of the 11th Annual National Muslim Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, with more than 1,000 Muslim delegates – a record number – from 33 states traveling to Washington, D.C., for two days of coordinated advocacy.
USCMO said this year’s theme, “Dismantling Islamophobia, Demanding Accountability, and Fighting for Justice,” reflected the urgency created by the current social and political climate.
Over the course of the two days, Muslim delegations held more than 260 meetings with members of Congress and congressional staff, in addition to dozens of drop-by visits across Capitol Hill.
This year’s record number of Muslim delegates was made possible through the sustained organizing, outreach, and mobilization efforts of more than 70 organizations and mosques across the country. A special recognition goes to the Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA) for ranking third in registrants, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for securing second place, and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) for leading the initiative with the highest number of registrants.
Delegates met with their elected officials to advance a focused policy agenda, urging members of Congress to:
Oppose Anti-Muslim Caucuses and Legislation
Reject the so-called “Sharia-Free America Caucus” and its discriminatory bills (H.R. 5722 / S. 3009, H.R. 5512 / S. 3008, H.R. 7611), which manufacture fear and legitimize anti-Muslim bigotry under the guise of national security. Support a congressional letter opposing this unconstitutional targeting of Islamic religious practice.
Demand an End to Endless Wars and the “Israel First” Agenda
Congress must stop rubber-stamping foreign agendas while American families struggle at home. Cut off taxpayer funding enabling genocide in Gaza, oppose reckless escalation toward war with Iran, and address atrocities in Sudan. Support War Powers efforts and reclaim Congress’s constitutional authority over war.
Defend Free Speech and Immigration Rights
Free speech is not terrorism, and activism is not grounds for detention, deportation, or IRS retaliation. Congress must end the weaponization of immigration law and tax authority against activists and nonprofits and reject efforts to silence dissent through abuse of power.
In addition to congressional advocacy, Muslim Hill Day included high-profile public actions addressing civil rights and political repression.
On Monday, advocates held a press conference in front of the U.S. Supreme Court calling for the release of Milwaukee Muslim community leader Salah Sarsour, who remains in ICE detention over his Palestinian activism. Speakers highlighted a broader pattern of targeting activists for their political speech, referencing cases over the past year involving Palestinian and Muslim advocates facing detention, harassment, or immigration-related retaliation, including Mahmoud Khalil, Rasha Alawieh, and others subjected to similar scrutiny.
On Tuesday, USCMO held a joint press conference with Al Green in support of his resolution to condemn Andy Ogles for anti-Muslim hate speech. Speakers emphasized that Islamophobia in Congress must be confronted directly and cannot be normalized or ignored.
In a statement, USCMO Secretary General Oussama Jammal said:
“From a record number of American Muslims coming to Capitol Hill, we are demonstrating what sustained grassroots community power looks like when it is organized, disciplined, and translated into civic engagement. For more than a decade, Muslim communities across this country have been building local infrastructure, cultivating leadership, and turning that investment into a consistent, annual presence on Capitol Hill backed by year-round in-district advocacy. That is why we are able to show up with strength, hold more than 260 meetings, and demand accountability from those in power. We will not accept the normalization of anti-Muslim hate disguised as policy. The so-called ‘Sharia-Free America Caucus’ and its discriminatory legislation must be rejected for what they are, an assault on religious freedom and constitutional rights. Congress must also end its complicity in endless wars and foreign agendas that betray American values, including the ongoing genocide in Gaza. And let there be no confusion, free speecch is not a crime, dissent is not terrorism, and our communities will continue to organize, mobilize, and hold every elected official accountable.”
In a statement, Robert S. McCaw, Chair of the USCMO National Muslim Advocacy Day Steering Committee and CAIR Director of Government Affairs, said:
“Muslim Hill Day reflects years of intentional grassroots organizing that has built real community power and translated it into sustained civic engagement. This is not a one-day event. It is the visible expression of ongoing work happening in communities across the country, where Muslim advocates are meeting with their elected officials year-round, building relationships, and advancing policy priorities at both the local and federal levels. The fact that Muslim delegates held more than 260 meetings over two days is a direct result of that infrastructure and follow-through. Our community is no longer asking to be included in policy conversations, we are shaping them. Lawmakers are engaging with a constituency that is organized, informed, and consistently present both in Washington and back home in their districts.”
USCMO also hosted a comprehensive policy and advocacy training session at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center auditorium on Monday morning, equipping hundreds of participants with the tools and messaging needed for effective engagement with lawmakers.
Throughout the week, Muslim delegates operated out of the Rayburn House Office Building, creating a centralized hub for coordination, communication, and rapid response. This structure helped maximize the impact of the record turnout and ensured that the 11th Annual National Muslim Advocacy Day delivered both a visible show of presence and measurable policy engagement.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/record-breaking-1000-muslim-delegates-participate-in-11th-annual-national-muslim-advocacy-day-on-capitol-hill/
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Locked Up by Israel at 15, Palestine Activist Is Now Jailed by ICE
By Mike Ludwig , TRUTHOUT
PublishedApril 21, 2026
Nearly a dozen agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surrounded Muslim community leader Salah Sarsour on March 30 after he left his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and serving as president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, the city’s largest mosque and Muslim institution, Sarsour is a husband, father, and grandfather described as a pillar of his community and a “loving bear” who is “always smiling.”
ICE’s parent organization, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), claimed without evidence that Sarsour is a “terrorist” who “lied” on a green card application when he moved to the U.S. in the 1990s. However, Sarsour’s attorney says that federal documents show he was jailed because Secretary of State Marco Rubio considered him a threat to U.S. foreign policy in June 2025, which was also reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Sarsour’s arrest came shortly after he was profiled by the shady pro-Israel website Canary Mission known for doxxing and smearing the reputations of Palestinian rights activists on college campuses. Their targets included Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was abducted and jailed by ICE for more than three months in 2025.
Federal immigration agents transported Sarsour hundreds of miles away from his family to a county jail in Indiana that contracts with ICE, where he remains incarcerated today as attorneys petition for his release. On April 6, a few days after his arrest, Sarsour released a letter to his community, urging fellow Muslims and civil rights activists in Milwaukee to continue “standing on just causes without hesitation.”
Citing lessons learned while he was jailed by the Israeli military as a teenager living in the West Bank, Sarsour’s letter frames the latest “unjust confinement” as a test of faith. Sarsour references the story of the prophet Yusuf — or Joseph in Christian and Hebrew texts — who was imprisoned in Egypt on false charges but maintained his faith in God and justice.
“The prophets never stood with injustice, with oppressors and with other evildoers; rather, they taught us to stand with the mathloomeen (the oppressed) and defend them,” Sarsour wrote. “This is why our community has always put forth tremendous efforts to help others, including standing with the people of Gaza, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Kashmir, Burma, Lebanon, and beyond.”
The letter is reminiscent of the one issued by Martin Luther King Jr. after he was jailed for violating an anti-protest injunction in Birmingham, Alabama. On scraps of paper, King penned a letter from his jail cell to his followers, criticizing “white moderates” who said that civil rights protests were disruptive and untimely. Touting the moral power of nonviolent civil disobedience, King famously declared that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Sarsour’s colleagues and supporters say he was targeted and locked up over his free speech about Palestinian rights and against Israel’s genocidal wars. On April 20, a coalition of Muslim civil rights groups gathered on Capitol Hill to demand Sarsour’s release. Osama Abu Irshaid, executive director of American Muslims for Palestine, warned that the Trump administration’s targeting of pro-Palestine voices as “threats to foreign policy” undermines freedom of speech for everyone.
“If [Muslims] can be targeted because of their political speech, anyone could be the subject tomorrow,” Abu Irshaid said during a press conference.
Abu Irshaid said the First Amendment does not align with the actions of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who personally signed off on arrests of pro-Palestine student activists after designating their speech as a foreign policy threat in an attempt to revoke their visas and green cards. During the anti-genocide protests that swept campuses in 2024, students with citizenship were also arrested on trumped-up charges for occupying public spaces and voicing dissent.
“What foreign policy do we pose a threat to? What foreign policy? There is no foreign policy, there’s total chaos,” said Abu Irshaid. “And Salah is a victim of this chaos, of this prioritization of Israel over America, and of the trampling of the Constitution of the United States.”
Will Perry, former executive director of the Milwaukee Islamic Da’wah Center and a longtime leader in the city’s Black and Muslim communities, said the U.S. government has targeted Black and Brown movement leaders who challenge injustice for much of the country’s history.
“That’s the strategy: to cut off the head, cut off the outspoken ones who stand up for democracy and justice,” Perry said in an interview with Truthout.
Perry cited outspoken Black leaders such as Marcus Garvey, Malcom X, and Nelson Mandela. Like Martin Luther King Jr., these leaders were imprisoned on political charges over the course of their struggles for justice.
“That’s always been the case: the ones that speak the loudest are the most targeted,” Perry said, adding that authorities target leaders to weaken the broader movement. “But it does the opposite, it helps to strengthen and unite the community … it has just strengthened our resolve to seek justice for Sarsour, and all of the other people who have been taken into detention.”
JoCasta Zamarripa and Alex Brower, two progressive members of the Milwaukee city council, have also said Sarsour is a lawful, permanent resident who has lived in the community for three decades. Members of the Milwaukee Delegation of Democratic State Legislators have also called for Sarsour’s release.
“The unacceptable activities by ICE — and especially illegally detaining [people] without due process — must stop immediately,” Zamarripa and Brower said in a joint statement on April 2. “How dare federal ICE agents come into our community and unlawfully detain a grandfather, a faith leader, a Wisconsinite!”
Janan Najeeb, executive director of the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition, said she has known Sarsour and his family for years as they both have roots in Palestine. Najeeb said Sarsour comes from a large family and is known for his generosity and philanthropy. He sits on the boards of national organizations that advocate for a free Palestine — which may have put Sarsour on Canary Mission’s radar. Pro-Israel groups have long targeted nonprofits that advocate for Palestinian rights.
“He is really the nicest person you can imagine, and there’s nothing dangerous about him except him for the fact that he speaks out for Palestine,” Najeeb told Truthout in an interview.
Due the outpouring of public support for Sarsour following his arrest, Najeeb said ICE and Homeland Security released multiple statements on Sarsour with vague allegations against him, which generally trace back to accusations made against him as a child by the Israeli government an apparent “interview” with Sarsour’s brother by Israeli authorities in 1998.
“So, they are working to throw the kitchen sink at him and each time changing their story,” Najeeb said.
DHS has said Sarsour was convicted in Israel of“throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli armed forces.” Najeeb said Sarsour was arrested as a 15-year-old living in the West Bank, where the occupying Israeli military works with extremist settlers to displace Palestinians from their homes, often with violence.
“This joke about him throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of soldiers, these are people who have flunked basic history, because Israeli soldiers don’t live in the West Bank, they don’t live anywhere near the Palestinians,” Najeeb said. “The Palestinians have to go through checkpoints, and they are not allowed in different areas where Israelis live.”
Najeeb said at age 15, Sarsour was tortured for weeks while imprisoned by Israel and forced to sign documents written in Hebrew, a language he did not speak. For years, human rights groups have reported on Israeli military courts that have incarcerated thousands of Palestinian children for allegedly throwing stones at occupiers based on coerced confessions. From 2005 to 2010, at least 93 percent of Palestinian children convicted of stone throwing were given prison sentences.
“So, we know about the kind of kangaroo courts and military courts that minors have to go through in Israel,” Najeeb said. “He already served his sentence in an Israeli prison. Why is he being arrested decades later in Milwaukee? What American law allows that to happen?”
While DHS has not publicly released any evidence, Homeland Security’s claim that Sarsour is “suspected of funding terror organizations” echoes a 2016 congressional testimony submitted by Jonathan Schanzer, a pro-Israel analyst at the far right Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The testimony cites a 2001 FBI memo noting an alleged interview about a Palestinian charity with Sarsour’s brother by Israeli authorities after his arrest. Truthout has not confirmed whether the interview was coerced or actually occurred in the first place.
Schanzer’s testimony also points out that Sarsour chaired the 2015 national conference for American Muslims for Palestine, which pro-Israel propagandists have for years attempted to link financially to Hamas in Gaza. American Muslims for Palestine has successfully fought to dismiss such claims in court.
In March, Schanzer held an “emergency briefing” with Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, a group that directly supports Israel’s military. An independent UN commission has said that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In an ongoing case, the International Court of Justice has also said that Israel is plausibly committing genocide; Israeli leaders have warrants out for their arrest from the International Criminal Court.
“They try to instill fear into our hearts because they know they cannot win this debate on its merits,” Abu Irshaid said.
Canary Mission is one of several groups doxxing and harassing pro-Palestine activists online, often reporting them to federal law enforcement. Unlike a standard nonprofit, Canary Mission keeps its membership and funding sources secret. Najeeb said the group is linked to Islamophobic hate speech, and experts say it exists to silence and terrorize people.
When an alarming video of masked ICE agents abducting Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk off the street went viral in March 2025, Canary Mission took credit with a celebratory post that linked to Öztürk’s profile on its website. The Trump administration claimed without evidence that Öztürk supported the Palestinian resistance party Hamas, but the only evidence for her arrest cited in an internal memo was an op-ed published in the student newspaper on the genocide in Gaza.
Abu Irshaid said a system that targets Muslims and anti-genocide activists for their speech can be weaponized against anyone, regardless of their citizenship status.
“So, America has to reckon with this now,” Abu Irshaid said. “It’s no longer about minorities, you can be a white American and be shot in broad daylight and called a domestic terrorist, as what happened with two American citizens who were shot [and killed] by a rogue agency called ICE. And you could be abducted from the middle of the street just because you say you disagree with this government, this foreign policy.”
Source: truthout.org
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https://truthout.org/articles/locked-up-by-israel-at-15-palestine-activist-is-now-jailed-by-ice/
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Chip Roy Names Bill to Deport Socialists After NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
April 21, 2026
U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced a bill called “Measures Against Marxism’s Dangerous Adherents and Noxious Islamists” — the acronym spells out the last name of Democratic Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The bill would “limit alien eligibility for admission and naturalization and enable deportation and denaturalization for any membership, affiliation, or advocacy of socialist, communist, Chinese communist, Marxist, or Islamic fundamentalist doctrines, and for other purposes.”
Roy critics are replying with objections, including one commenter who wrote, “‘Marxist’ (political ideology) and ‘Islamic Fundamentalist’ (religious ideology) are protected under the 1st Amendment.”
Another Roy detractor mocked the performative aspect of the Congressman’s legislative efforts, writing, “It’s so easy to introduce bills that one KNOWS for a fact that bill will never pass. It’s pure posturing and theatre.”
[NOTE: Roy is running for Attorney General of Texas, the job currently held by Ken Paxton, who is running for incumbent Senator John Cornyn‘s seat in a fierce GOP runoff election. Neither Paxton nor Cornyn has received President Trump’s endorsement.]
Roy faces Texas state Senator Mayes Middleton in a May runoff to decide who will be the GOP nominee. Trump has also withheld his endorsement in the Texas AG primary.
As seen below, Roy complained that a SuperPAC in California — “a bunch of Leftists, Marxists,” he claimed — spent a million dollars on ads against him in Texas “because they fear me as Attorney General.”
Roy is also attacking his GOP opponent, Middleton, claiming: “A year ago, my inexperienced opponent Mayes Middleton introduced a bill that would have opened the floodgates for Sharia developments across Texas.”
Aaron Reitz, who also ran in the first round of the Texas GOP primary for AG and has endorsed Middleton, responded to Roy’s claims on social media. Reitz wrote: “A thin, clickbait piece from @FDRLST dropped yesterday claiming @mayes_middleton ‘tried to force towns to greenlight development of Muslim ‘Sharia Cities.’ lol, no, not even close.”
Source: 2paragraphs.com
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https://2paragraphs.com/2026/04/chip-roy-names-bill-to-deport-socialists-after-nyc-mayor-zohran-mamdani/
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Trump buys time for Iran deal after frantic day of diplomacy
Apr 22, 2026
Daniel Bush
Tuesday began as a frantic day of diplomacy in Washington, with Air Force Two ready to fly Vice President JD Vance to Islamabad for another round of peace talks between the US and Iran.
Several hours later, Air Force Two hadn't taken off and the negotiations were postponed. President Donald Trump announced that he would extend the ceasefire with Iran, set to expire on Wednesday evening, to allow the regime more time to create a "unified proposal" to end the war.
In between, Trump weighed his options as the world waited to see if the countries were any closer to ending the war. Trump's decision marked the second time in as many weeks that he has backed off a threat to escalate the war, buying himself more time to wind down a conflict as it approaches the two-month mark.
Vance never officially announced the Islamabad trip, leaving Washington guessing. And Iran never officially committed to attending the talks, leaving the White House in the difficult position of deciding whether or not to send Vance with no assurance that Tehran would even come to the table.
As the day wore on, signs of a postponement emerged. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, senior members of the US negotiating team led by Vance, flew to Washington from Miami instead of heading straight to Islamabad. Soon after, Vance made his way to the White House for "policy meetings" as the president and his senior advisers debated what to do next.
In the end, Trump announced the ceasefire extension on Truth Social, his preferred means for war updates since it began in late February. The president said he made the decision at the request of Pakistan, which has mediated talks between Tehran and Washington.
"We have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump said.
Notably, Trump this time did not specify how long the ceasefire might last. Earlier this month, he set a two-week deadline for the first ceasefire. That came after conflicting comments in press interviews, during which he said the talks were going well but also warned that he would consider resuming the war if Iran refused to negotiate.
"There is no clear formula" for ending wars, James Jeffrey, a former US ambassador to Iraq and Turkey, told the BBC.
Trump isn't the first US president to "threaten significant military escalation," Jeffrey added, "while also putting a good deal on the table."
Trump's open-ended statement on Tuesday was more measured than his past social media attacks on Iran. That may signal Trump's desire to end a war that has roiled the global economy and is unpopular with anti-interventionist supporters in Trump's Maga base.
"This is a pragmatic decision based on what are quite obvious fractures in the current leadership of the Iranian government," said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.
But Katulis said Trump's decision also created more uncertainty about how long the war will last.
"This move begs the question though for Trump about how he can deal with the economic pain that Americans are experiencing and the political pain he's experiencing from his base," Katulis said. "He hasn't answered the questions that are still driving this crisis."
With the ceasefire extension, the US and Iran now have more time to make a durable peace deal. But major questions remain.
Iran has said that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is an act of war. While Trump chose not to restart the war immediately, he gave no indication he would end the blockade, which the US hoped would pressure Tehran to back down. So far that hasn't happened, leaving Trump with fewer options other than ramping up the military campaign.
Iran, meanwhile, has not signaled interest in ending its nuclear program or support for proxy groups in the Middle East -- two so-called "red lines" that Trump has demanded be included in any final peace deal.
Trump bought himself more time. But a quick resolution to the war, for now, seems as elusive as ever.
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg4yr90jr2o
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Trump recalls ass-kiss in Tim Apple tribute
21 Apr, 2026
US President Donald Trump has claimed with his usual bluntness that Apple CEO Tim Cook once called him to “kiss his a*s.”
The tech giant announced on Monday that Cook will resign as CEO and become executive chairman in September. He will be replaced by hardware chief John Ternus.
In a tribute to the man he famously called “Tim Apple,” Trump said they first spoke early in his first term, when Cook called him to present “a fairly large problem” that “only I, as President, could fix.”
“When I got the call I said, wow, it’s Tim Apple (Cook!) calling,” Trump wrote on social media on Tuesday, reviving the nickname that once went viral, before adding he was impressed to have the head of Apple calling to “kiss my ass.”
“He makes these calls to me, I help him out (but not always, because he will, on occasion, be too aggressive in his ask!), and he gets the job done, QUICKLY, without a dime being given to those very expensive (millions of dollars!) consultants around town who sometimes get it done, and sometimes don’t,” Trump wrote.
Behind the humor, the exchange points to a well-established pattern of close contact between Silicon Valley and political power. A Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday said Cook “effectively lobbied the White House directly” to secure outcomes such as tariff exemptions.
During the escalation of the US-China trade conflict in early 2025, Apple successfully avoided sweeping tariff hikes that threatened other major firms, largely due to Cook’s direct, behind-the-scenes outreach to senior officials and the White House.
Despite praising Cook as an “incredible guy,” the relationship has not been without friction. Trump has repeatedly pushed Apple to move manufacturing to the US and last year said he had a “little problem” with the CEO over plans to expand production in India.
He also publicly clashed with Cook over Apple’s refusal to scrap diversity policies, urging the company to abandon DEI programs he described as “a hoax that has been very bad” for the US.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/638854-trump-recalls-ass-kiss-cook-tribute/
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Africa
Military Sets Up Court Martial For Officers Over Alleged Coup Plot
April 22, 2026
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
The Nigerian military has constituted a court-martial to try serving personnel allegedly implicated in a coup plot, as the Federal Government moves to prosecute civilians and retired officers linked to the same case.
Reliable sources confirmed to Punch that the military panel would be constituted on Wednesday to commence proceedings against the affected officers.
Those reportedly detained and to face trial include Brig Gen M. A. Sadiq, Col M. A. Maaji, Lt Col S. Bappah, Lt Col A. A. Hayatu, Lt Col P. Dangnap, Lt Col M. Almakura, Maj A. J. Ibrahim, Maj M. M. Jiddah, Maj M. A. Usman, Maj D. Yusuf, Capt I. Bello, Capt A. A. Yusuf, Lt S. S. Felix, Lt Cdr D. B. Abdullahi, Sqn Ldr S. B. Adamu and Maj I. Dauda.
Sources disclosed that the officers had been in detention over their alleged roles in the unfolding case.
It was further gathered that the detained officers have now been granted access to legal representation for the first time since their arrest.
FG To Arraign Six Suspects In Abuja
The development comes as the Federal Government is set to arraign six individuals before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Those to be arraigned include retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
Also listed in the charge, but said to be at large, is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
The suspects are expected to appear before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/04/22/military-sets-up-court-martial-for-officers-over-alleged-coup-plot/
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Al-Burhan, sultan of Oman discuss developments in Sudan
April 21, 2026
LONDON: The chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdul Fattah Al-Burhan, met on Tuesday with the sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik, in Muscat to discuss developments in the African state.
The sultan expressed Oman’s support for Sudan’s security, stability, and prosperity, according to the Oman News Agency.
Al-Burhan highlighted Omani efforts to resolve the conflict in Sudan, now in its fourth year, through dialogue and peaceful means, while enhancing national unity. Both parties emphasized the significance of enhancing areas of partnership and fostering constructive cooperation, the ONA added.
Several officials attended the meeting, including Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi and Sudanese Foreign Minister Muhi Al-Din Salem Ahmed.
Al-Burhan also met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah on Monday. The two leaders discussed the latest developments in Sudan, their implications, and the efforts being made to address the situation, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
At least 33.7 million people in Sudan require humanitarian aid, and 14 million have been displaced from their homes since the civil war erupted in April 2023, according to Doctors Without Borders. While there are no official casualty figures available, some estimates suggest more than 150,000 people have been killed, including about 2,000 in attacks on healthcare facilities.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2640777/middle-east
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Kwankwaso Can’t Sell Muslims, I Will Campaign Against Him – Asari Dokubo
April 21, 2026
Former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, has vowed to work against former presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking via a video making the rounds on social media, Dokubo accused the former Kano governor of trying to mislead Muslim voters.
He vowed to mobilise against Kwankwaso, expressing confidence that Kano residents would reject him at the polls.
“I will be at the forefront of campaigning against Rabiu Kwankwaso in the 2027 election. He thinks he can sell Muslims for kobo kobo… Kano will surprise you this time, but we are going to disappoint him,” he said.
He further alleged that Kwankwaso was positioning himself to manipulate political sentiments, using strong language to question his credibility among Northern voters.
Kwankwaso’s recent exit from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and alignment with the ADC has intensified political activity within opposition ranks, with consultations and counter-mobilisation already gaining momentum ahead of 2027
Kwankwaso has yet to respond to the claims as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, Kwankwaso has appealed to Nigerians both at home and abroad to ensure that they participate fully in the 2027 general elections.
Naija News reports that Kwankwaso, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, made the appeal in a video via his official 𝕏 handle on Monday night.
The former Governor of Kano State urged Nigerians, especially youths, to complete their voter registration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without delay ahead of the forthcoming elections.
He also urged Nigerians to register with the ADC as the coalition party prepares to unseat President Bola Tinubu.
He said, “Fellow Nigerians; It is time for every eligible Nigerian young and old, in the cities and in the villages, at home and in the diaspora to take two decisive steps:
“Register to vote with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without delay.
“Register with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).”
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/04/21/kwankwaso-muslims-asari-dokubo/
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Pope Leo XIV urges justice on visit to Equatorial Guinea
April 22, 2026
Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday called on Equatorial Guinea to place itself “in the service of law and justice,” as he began a sensitive visit to one of Africa’s most tightly controlled states.
Speaking in the capital Malabo, the pontiff urged authorities to reassess development paths and seize opportunities to strengthen their international role through respect for law and justice.
He also warned against inequality, highlighting a widening gap between a small elite and the majority of citizens, and linking modern social injustice to growing exclusion.
Wealth and inequality under scrutiny
Rich in oil, Equatorial Guinea derives much of its wealth from hydrocarbons, yet large parts of the population remain in poverty.
Rights groups have long accused the government of corruption and misuse of public funds, while pointing to stark disparities in living standards.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, in power since 1979, welcomed the pope at the presidential palace, alongside senior officials including Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue.
Falancing diplomacy and criticism
The pope’s visit highlights a delicate balance: supporting the country’s large Catholic population while avoiding endorsement of a government frequently accused of human rights abuses, including restrictions on opposition and media.
Despite the political undertones, crowds gathered in the streets to catch a glimpse of the pontiff, reflecting both hope and skepticism among residents.
Final leg of African tour
The stop marks the last stage of Leo’s 11-day Africa tour.
He is expected to travel onward to Mongomo and Bata, continuing his outreach in a nation where Catholicism remains a lasting legacy of Spanish colonial rule.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2026/04/22/pope-leo-xiv-urges-justice-on-visit-to-equatorial-guinea/
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South Sudan to hold elections in December as fighting rages on
April 22, 2026
After years of delays, South Sudan is for to hold elections in December, despite the nation being on the brink of civil war.
Experts are warning of a return to full blown war as government forces under the president fight groups loosely aligned with with the vice president.
The violence has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes, with aid agencies regularly attacked and struggling to function.
A peace deal in 2018 put an end to the last civil war between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar.
Under the deal, elections were supposed to take place in 2022 but were repeatedly delayed.
The country’s information minister insisted that elections must be held this year.
If the process goes ahead, it would mark the first national polls since the country gained independence from Sudan 15 years ago.
Other requirements of the peace deal have not been fulfilled, including the unification of rival armed forces The nation is also grappling with severe corruption and poverty.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2026/04/21/south-sudan-to-hold-elections-in-december-as-fighting-rages-on/
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ADC Blasts FG Over 7% Release Of Army Equipment Funds Amid Rising Insecurity
April 22, 2026
By Justina Otio
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the Federal Government for allegedly releasing only 7 percent of the Nigerian Army’s budget for security equipment in 2025.
Speaking in a statement on Tuesday, the National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, lamented that it was outrageous that of ₦336.76 billion approved for security equipment in 2015, only a paltry ₦16.71 billion was reportedly released.
He questioned why the government chose to concentrate resources on the maintenance of the presidential fleet while military aircraft languished due to a lack of funds.
It noted that “even more alarming is that this disclosure comes as Nigerians confront yet another national tragedy. Reports indicate that over 400 women and children abducted in Ngoshe, Borno State are now the subject of a ₦5 billion ransom demand by Boko Haram, with a 72-hour ultimatum and a chilling threat that the victims may be dispersed and never seen again if the government fails to act.
“This is the painful reality of our country today: a country where terrorists feel bold enough to issue deadlines to the state; a country where hundreds of citizens can be held hostage while the government under-funds the very military meant to protect them.
“The connection between these two realities is direct. When only a fraction of security funds is released, when nothing is provided for logistics like mobility and fuel, and when equipment procurement is delayed, the result is predictable: a weakened security system. And when the state looks weak, those who threaten it grow stronger, with devastating consequences for ordinary Nigerians.
“Even more troubling is the contrast in priorities. While the military struggles with chronic underfunding, the federal government has reportedly ensured full funding for the luxurious presidential air fleet enjoyed by President Tinubu and his immediate family, even as military aircraft remain grounded due to a lack of resources. This paints a troubling picture of a government that is more concerned with comfort at the top than safety on the ground.
“A government that releases only 7 percent of security equipment funds, and nothing for critical logistics, cannot claim to be serious about winning the war against terror. You cannot starve our brave men and women in uniform of the tools they need and expect them to defeat a determined and well-armed enemy. This is not just a budgeting failure, it is a failure of leadership.
“The consequences are clear. Communities remain exposed. Farmers cannot return to their farms. Businesses continue to operate under fear. And now, hundreds of women and children face an uncertain fate in the hands of terrorists.”
Source: naijanews.com
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Southeast Asia
Two men charged over offensive Facebook posts on 3R issues
22 Apr 2026
One man jailed, another claims trial over offensive Facebook posts involving sensitive issues of race, religion and royalty in separate court cases
SEPANG: Two men faced court action over offensive social media posts. One was jailed after pleading guilty, while another claimed trial on similar charges involving sensitive issues of race, religion and royalty (3R).
In the first case, Mat Derus Ali, 64, was sentenced to four months in jail by the Sessions Court. He admitted to uploading offensive content against the royal institution on Facebook in August last year.
He entered his guilty plea before Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman. Mat Derus was accused of knowingly initiating a communication of an offensive nature with the intent to hurt others via his Facebook account.
The post was made at 2.15 am on August 20, 2024. It was later detected at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Tower in Cyberjaya.
The offence was charged under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. Deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab said the content amounted to a clear insult to the royal institution.
He added it contained elements of racial and religious provocation that could incite hostility. Delivering the sentence, the judge warned that issues involving race, religion and royalty are highly sensitive.
He stated these matters must not be trivialised. In a separate case before the same court, retired soldier Marzuki Ismail, 52, pleaded not guilty.
He is accused of posting an offensive Facebook comment in December last year. Marzuki is charged with making and initiating an offensive communication via his account at about 2.30 pm on December 22, 2025.
The post was also later detected at the MCMC Tower in Cyberjaya. The court allowed bail of RM7,000 with one surety.
It fixed June 9 for case mention.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/two-men-charged-over-offensive-facebook-posts-on-3r-issues/
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Malaysia urged to reform response to global trade changes
22 Apr 2026
Malaysia must reform and recalibrate its response to global trade shifts, says MIDA chairman Tengku Zafrul, stressing strategic neutrality and supply chain resilience
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should reform or recalibrate its response to changes in the global architecture, especially in trade, as they occur, said Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) chairman Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
He said the country should also remain mindful of its strategic positioning as a middle power, leveraging its strengths while addressing concerns about energy security, technology, and overall resilience to remain part of both the United States and China’s supply chain ecosystems.
“For MIDA and Malaysia, we know our strengths, but at the same time, we must be ready for challenges ahead,” he said during a panel session at the CNBC Converge Live programme titled ‘Redrawing The Global Trade Map’, hosted by its Morning Call anchor, Morgan Brennan.
He said Malaysia needs to continue engaging with the US and China as the two economies account for nearly 30% of the country’s total trade.
Tengku Zafrul further noted that while China remains Malaysia’s and ASEAN’s largest trading partner, the US is Malaysia’s largest investor and export market and possibly for the broader region as well.
“We have been consistent and will engage with both countries, as we are talking about supply chain security and technology security, and they want to have trusted supply chain partners.
“So Malaysia and ASEAN can play that role (as trusted supply chain partners), given our position when we talk about strategic neutrality,” he said.
As an open economy, Tengku Zafrul noted that Malaysia’s strengths in the semiconductor industry, digital economy and energy sector, supported by consistent policies, enabled the country to remain neutral and relevant within global supply chains.
“Things are dynamic. People are watching closely to see how we (Malaysia) navigate the current situation in West Asia.
“I hope that with consistent policies and strategic key decisions being made to look at the longer term, as this will benefit Malaysia and the region as well,” he said.
On energy security amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia is currently in a relatively strong position as a net energy exporter, which places the country on a firm economic footing.
He added that Malaysia’s capital markets remain optimistic, recording a more than 10% year-on-year increase, supported by positive gross domestic product (GDP) growth, investment performance, stable unemployment, and policy flexibility on both fiscal and monetary fronts.
“But we can’t take these things for granted. In my view, we are seeing a reallocation of assets by companies and fund managers in capital markets and in foreign investment for the longer term,” he added.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/malaysia-urged-to-reform-response-to-global-trade-changes/
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PM Anwar vows proactive action on global supply crisis
21 Apr 2026
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says Malaysia is strengthening energy ties with partners like Oman to ensure stability and protect the people from global shocks.
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today emphasised that the government will not remain idle in facing the global supply crisis which is becoming increasingly complex.
In a post on his official X account today, Anwar said every measure taken is purposeful based on the people’s interest and aimed at ensuring Malaysia remains prepared, resilient, and protected from energy supply shocks.
According to the Prime Minister, with the geopolitical situation in West Asia becoming more tense and uncertain, the MADANI Government has acted early and cautiously by strengthening its network of cooperation with trusted partners such as Oman to ensure the people’s interest is always protected.
Anwar today received a courtesy visit from National Gas Company SAOG Oman chairman Sh Abdulla Suleiman Hamed Al Harthy to boost strategic cooperation and explore new investment opportunities that can help ensure the stability of the country’s energy supply.
“The move to expand trade cooperation in oil and liquefied natural gas is not just an option but a strategic necessity to ensure the continued stability of the nation’s energy supply chain and prevent cost pressures that could burden the people and businesses,” Anwar said.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/people-issues/pm-anwar-vows-proactive-action-on-global-supply-crisis/
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Sultan Nazrin urges proactive global governance for AI and genetics
21 Apr 2026
The Perak ruler warns against repeating past mistakes, calling for advance regulation of AI and genetic engineering to prevent irreversible planetary harm.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah has issued a stark warning that emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and genetic engineering must be governed proactively to avoid catastrophic future mistakes.
His Royal Highness drew a parallel with the historical failure to regulate the atomic bomb before its use, urging the global community not to repeat the error of “building first and governing later”.
He delivered this keynote address at the opening of the 8th Putrajaya Forum 2026, held alongside the Defence Services Asia and National Security Asia exhibitions.
“They demand governance in advance, not in retrospect,” Sultan Nazrin said.
He emphasised that the cost of retroactive governance could prove irreversible, particularly for the health of the planet itself.
While acknowledging technologies like AI, quantum computing and biotechnology as powerful tools for enhancing security, he cautioned they are simultaneously reshaping the global risk landscape.
Sultan Nazrin noted AI could deter cyber threats in real-time and enable pre-emptive action through predictive analytics.
He also highlighted benefits from blockchain for data integrity and advanced surveillance for public safety.
“But these technologies also carry grave risks,” he stated.
The deployment of AI in military contexts could inadvertently precipitate conflict through automation bias, where humans over-trust machines with life-or-death decisions.
His Royal Highness warned that AI errors in nuclear systems could have catastrophic consequences.
He further identified quantum computing as a major threat to online security and deepfakes as tools to destabilise society.
Critical infrastructure like energy grids and financial systems are increasingly exposed to digitised risks that could compromise sovereignty without conventional warfare.
“A cyberattack on a regional financial system could disrupt economies across borders within minutes,” Sultan Nazrin illustrated.
He also warned of coordinated misinformation campaigns eroding public trust and data breaches compromising national sovereignty.
The Sultan called for deeper ASEAN cooperation, particularly in developing AI governance frameworks that reflect regional values.
He stressed ensuring the fair distribution of technological gains is essential.
“True security lies in working together, not in isolation,” said Sultan Nazrin.
This means cooperating on governance frameworks that protect people and distribute technological wealth fairly, he added.
The Putrajaya Forum 2026 is a premier defence and homeland security event attracting global participation.
It is themed ‘ASEAN Security at the Edge of Emerging Technologies’, focusing on how rapid advancements reshape defence and regional cooperation.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/sultan-nazrin-urges-proactive-global-governance-for-ai-and-genetics/
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Zakat Selangor says has absolutely no links to RM230m NGO fraud case
22 Apr 2026
SHAH ALAM, April 22 — Lembaga Zakat Selangor (Zakat Selangor) has stressed that it has no connection to the alleged misappropriation of zakat funds amounting to RM230 million, which is currently under investigation by the authorities.
Zakat Selangor chief executive officer Mohd Khaidzir Shahari said the institution operates as Selangor’s official zakat authority under the supervision of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS), and is governed by legal provisions as well as a comprehensive governance and regulatory framework with checks and balances.
“Zakat fund management also undergoes multiple layers of audit and monitoring, including internal and external audits, as well as reviews by the authorities, to ensure that all zakat funds are managed in an orderly and controlled manner.
“Zakat Selangor has taken note of media reports on the arrest of several individuals in connection with the alleged misappropriation of zakat funds amounting to about RM230 million currently under investigation, and stresses that the case involves a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and has no connection with Zakat Selangor or the management of zakat by the institution,” he said in a statement today.
Mohd Khaidzir said Zakat Selangor maintained a firm stance against any form of misuse of zakat funds and would always ensure that zakat management was carried out in accordance with the established governance framework.
He added that the institution would not issue further comments as the investigation is still ongoing, and advised the public to refer to its official channels for accurate information and to make zakat payments through www.zakatselangor.com.my.
At the same time, Mohd Khaidzir reminded all parties not to spread false information on the matter, as it could cause confusion and undermine public confidence in the zakat institution. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Sultan Ibrahim orders royal foundation to assist Sandakan families displaced by massive fire
22 Apr 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has graciously extended a personal contribution to assist families affected by the fire tragedy in Kampung Bahagia, Sandakan.
According to a Facebook post by Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, His Majesty decreed that the contribution will be channelled through Yayasan Sultan Ibrahim Johor (YSIJ) to help ease the burden of families impacted by the incident.
In this regard, Sultan Ibrahim has instructed the foundation (YSIJ) to liaise with the Sabah state government to ensure the assistance reaches the affected families.
“Many have lost their homes in this tragedy. I pray that the fire victims are granted strength and resilience in facing this hardship,” His Majesty said in a statement to the Royal Press Office today.
Last Sunday, a major fire at the water village of Kampung Bahagia in Sandakan destroyed about 1,000 houses and affected more than 9,000 residents.
The fire involved an area of over four hectares. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Malaysia among five Asian countries where WeChat Pay now accepts domestic QR systems
22 Apr 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — Chinese super app WeChat has rolled out a new feature allowing users of its payment service to scan domestic QR codes across five Asian countries, making cross-border transactions more seamless for travellers.
According to City News Service, the update enables WeChat Pay users to make payments in South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore using existing local QR payment systems without switching apps or currency handling.
The integration covers South Korea’s ZeroPay, Sri Lanka’s LANKAQR, Thailand’s PromptPay, Malaysia’s DuitNow QR and Singapore’s SGQR+, allowing Chinese users to complete transactions abroad using a single scan.
The system effectively removes the need for multiple e-wallets or cash exchanges, with payments processed through familiar QR scanning methods already widely used in China.
The feature is designed to simplify spending for travellers, particularly during peak holiday periods, by enabling seamless retail transactions across participating countries.
WeChat said the move reflects its effort to enhance cross-border payment convenience and strengthen interoperability between regional digital payment ecosystems.
Travellers visiting the five countries can now rely on their existing WeChat Pay setup for everyday purchases ranging from food and retail to transport services.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/tech-gadgets/2026/04/22/malaysia-among-five-asian-countries-where-wechat-pay-now-accepts-domestic-qr-systems/217238
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South Asia
Afghanistan Advances Regional Trade Ties at Central Asia Industrial Expo
April 22, 2026
On the sidelines of the Central Asia International Industrial Exhibition, Afghanistan took a notable step toward strengthening its regional economic integration by engaging in a high-level trilateral meeting with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The meeting brought together Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Laziz Kudratov, and Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce, Iskander Asilkulov.
The primary focus of the trilateral discussions was to enhance cooperation in transit and trade facilitation, areas that are critical for landlocked Afghanistan’s economic growth. All three sides acknowledged the importance of reducing logistical barriers and streamlining cross-border procedures to promote smoother trade flows across the region.
A key issue discussed during the meeting was improving Afghanistan’s access to the markets of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Afghan officials emphasized the need to expand export opportunities for domestic products, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, textiles, and light manufacturing. The Uzbek and Kyrgyz representatives, in turn, expressed their willingness to support initiatives that would allow Afghan goods to enter their markets more efficiently, provided that regulatory and quality standards are met.
Another significant topic on the agenda was Afghanistan’s participation in the Central Asia International Industrial Exhibition. The exhibition, which includes participation from Central Asian countries as well as Russia and Belarus, serves as a major platform for industrial cooperation, networking, and showcasing products. Afghan officials highlighted the importance of securing formal membership in the exhibition framework, arguing that it would open new avenues for Afghan companies to present their products on an international stage.
The discussions concluded with a mutual agreement to establish a joint working group dedicated to addressing transit and trade-related challenges. This working group will focus on identifying bottlenecks, proposing practical solutions, and ensuring the implementation of agreed measures. Particular emphasis will be placed on facilitating the movement of Afghan export goods through regional transit corridors, which remain underutilized due to infrastructural and administrative constraints.
In addition to the formation of the working group, the parties also reached an understanding regarding Afghanistan’s membership in the Central Asia International Industrial Exhibition. This development is expected to provide Afghan industrial firms with access to a range of membership benefits, including participation in exhibitions, networking opportunities with regional and international partners, and increased visibility for Afghan products.
Observers view this trilateral engagement as a positive signal of Afghanistan’s intent to integrate more deeply into regional economic frameworks. By collaborating with neighboring countries and leveraging platforms such as the industrial exhibition, Afghanistan aims to overcome longstanding challenges related to its geographic isolation and limited access to global markets.
The participation of countries like Russia and Belarus in the exhibition further underscores its significance as a regional hub for industrial cooperation. For Afghanistan, gaining membership represents not only a symbolic achievement but also a practical opportunity to enhance its industrial capacity and promote its exports internationally.
Overall, the meeting reflects a growing recognition among Central Asian nations of the importance of regional connectivity and economic collaboration. If effectively implemented, the agreements reached during this trilateral dialogue could mark an important step toward improving trade infrastructure, boosting exports, and fostering sustainable economic growth for Afghanistan and the broader region.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/afghanistan-advances-regional-trade-ties-at-central-asia-industrial-expo/
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Experts for shariah governance to ensure transparency in banks
21 Apr 2026
DHAKA, April 21, 2026 (BSS) - Experts at a training workshop have emphasized the critical role of strong Shariah governance in ensuring transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the banking sector.
The three-day workshop titled "Shariah Governance for the Members of Shariah Supervisory Committee" began today at BIBM in the city, said a press release.
The programme is jointly organized by BIBM and the Bangladesh Bank with the objective of strengthening the capacity of Shariah Supervisory Committee members working in Islamic banks and financial institutions.
Dr Md Kabir Ahmed, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, inaugurated the workshop as the Chief Guest Dr Md Ezazul Islam, Director General of BIBM chaired the programme. Professor Dr Abu Bakr Rafique, Chairman of the Shariah Advisory Board of Bangladesh Bank was present as special guest.
Dr Mohammad Tazul Islam, Professor and Director (Training) of BIBM delivered welcome speech.
Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Central Shariah Board for Islamic Banks of Bangladesh, attended the program as the Guest of Honour.
Dr Md Kabir Ahmed, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, inaugurated the workshop as the Chief Guest.
Speaking at the event he highlighted that effective Shariah governance is essential to ensure transparency, compliance, and integrity in Islamic banking operations.
He also noted that a robust governance framework helps build trust among depositors and stakeholders while supporting the sustainable growth of Islamic finance.
The session was chaired by Dr Md Ezazul Islam, Director General of BIBM.
In his address, he reiterated BIBM's commitment to promoting good governance and professional excellence in the banking industry through training, research, and knowledge sharing.
Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Central Shariah Board for Islamic Banks of Bangladesh, attended the programme as the Guest of Honour.
The workshop, scheduled from 21 to 23 April 2026, has brought together members of Shariah Supervisory Committees from different Islamic banks and financial institutions, the PR release added.
Source: bssnews.net
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https://www.bssnews.net/business/380077
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Balanced Progress: How Rural Development Builds Stronger Societies
April 21, 2026
A nation’s strength is not measured only by the height of its cities, the speed of its industries, or the brightness of its urban centers. True national strength is reflected in how evenly development reaches every corner of society—especially rural areas where a large portion of the population often lives. When rural communities are left behind, inequality deepens, migration increases, and social cohesion weakens. But when development reaches villages and remote districts, societies become more balanced, stable, and resilient.
Rural development is not simply a matter of building roads or constructing small infrastructure projects. It is a comprehensive process that includes improving education, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, communication, and access to basic services. It is about ensuring that people living outside major cities enjoy the same dignity, opportunities, and quality of life as those in urban centers. Without this balance, development remains incomplete and uneven.
In many countries, including Afghanistan, rural areas form the backbone of national identity and economic life. A significant portion of the population lives in villages and depends on agriculture, livestock, and local trade for survival. Yet historically, these regions have often faced limited access to essential services such as electricity, clean water, quality education, and healthcare facilities. This gap between rural and urban development has created structural challenges that affect the entire country.
One of the most important impacts of rural development projects is economic empowerment. When roads are built in remote areas, farmers can transport their products more easily to markets, reducing waste and increasing income. When irrigation systems are improved, agricultural productivity rises, making rural communities more self-sufficient. When small industries and local businesses are supported, job opportunities expand and dependency on urban migration decreases. In this way, rural development directly contributes to national economic growth.
Education is another key pillar of rural progress. In many rural regions, access to schools is limited or uneven. Children may have to walk long distances to reach classrooms, and in some cases, schools lack basic facilities or qualified teachers. Development projects that focus on building schools, training teachers, and providing learning materials help break the cycle of poverty. Education empowers the younger generation to think beyond survival and actively contribute to their communities and country.
Healthcare is equally critical. Rural populations often face challenges in accessing medical services due to distance, lack of facilities, or shortage of trained professionals. Small health centers, mobile clinics, and improved transportation systems can make a significant difference. When rural families have access to healthcare, maternal and child mortality rates decrease, diseases are treated earlier, and overall public health improves. Healthy communities are productive communities, and this has a direct impact on national development.
Infrastructure development is another essential element. Roads, bridges, electricity networks, and communication systems are not luxuries; they are necessities for integration. Without proper infrastructure, rural communities remain isolated, unable to fully participate in national economic and social life. Electricity, for example, enables students to study at night, allows businesses to operate more efficiently, and improves the quality of life. Communication networks connect rural citizens with information, services, and opportunities that were previously out of reach.
However, the importance of rural development goes beyond economics and infrastructure. It also plays a crucial role in social stability and national unity. When rural communities feel neglected, inequality grows, and dissatisfaction may increase. On the other hand, when people see visible improvements in their living conditions, trust in institutions strengthens. They feel included in the national vision and become active participants in the country’s progress. This sense of inclusion is vital for long-term stability.
In countries with diverse populations and geographic challenges like Afghanistan, rural development also helps reduce migration pressures on cities. When rural areas lack opportunities, people often move to urban centers in search of better living conditions. This rapid urban migration can lead to overcrowding, unemployment, and strain on city infrastructure. By investing in rural regions, governments can create a more balanced population distribution and reduce pressure on urban systems.
Another important dimension of rural development is cultural preservation. Rural areas often hold rich traditions, languages, and customs that form the cultural foundation of a nation. Development that respects and integrates local culture helps preserve this heritage while improving living standards. It ensures that modernization does not come at the cost of identity, but rather strengthens it by providing communities with the tools to thrive in a changing world.
Despite its importance, rural development faces several challenges. Geographic isolation, security concerns in some regions, limited financial resources, and administrative difficulties can slow progress. In addition, lack of coordination between development agencies and local communities may reduce the effectiveness of projects. For rural development to succeed, it must be planned carefully, implemented transparently, and guided by the real needs of local populations rather than short-term or external priorities.
Community participation is especially important. When local people are involved in planning and implementing development projects, the outcomes are more sustainable. They understand their own needs better than anyone else and can help ensure that projects are maintained and protected. This participatory approach also increases a sense of ownership, making it more likely that development efforts will succeed in the long term.
Technology can also play a transformative role in rural development. Mobile banking, online education, telemedicine, and digital marketplaces are increasingly connecting rural communities to national and global systems. Even in remote areas, digital tools can help farmers access market prices, students attend virtual classes, and patients consult doctors without traveling long distances. As technology expands, it has the potential to significantly reduce the rural-urban gap.
Ultimately, rural development is not a secondary concern—it is a central pillar of national progress. No country can achieve true stability or prosperity while large segments of its population remain underdeveloped or excluded. Balanced development ensures that growth is shared, opportunities are expanded, and no community is left behind.
In conclusion, rural development is the foundation of a stronger, more unified society. It strengthens the economy by boosting agriculture and local industries, improves human development through education and healthcare, and enhances national unity by reducing inequality. Most importantly, it ensures that progress is not concentrated in a few places but distributed fairly across the entire nation.
A society that invests in its rural areas invests in its own future. Balanced progress is not just a development strategy—it is a vision of justice, equality, and long-term stability. When villages grow alongside cities, nations do not simply develop; they become truly strong, resilient, and united.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/balanced-progress-how-rural-development-builds-stronger-societies/
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BB removes Int’l Leasing MD over irregularities
22 APRIL 2026
Bangladesh Bank (BB) has removed Mohammad Imdadul Islam, managing director of International Leasing and Financial Services Limited, over irregularities and concealment of information.
The central bank sent a letter in this regard to the chairman of the board of directors of the leasing company on Monday and instructed its board to take the necessary steps.
In a letter issued on January 25, the central bank asked Islam to explain why action should not be taken against him for alleged misconduct, including falsification of board meeting minutes and violation of human resources policies.
The regulator also cited his role in dismissing five officials, including the chief financial officer, on January 1 this year in breach of internal policies and regulatory guidelines.
Bangladesh Bank said the explanation submitted by Islam on January 28 was found to be unsatisfactory.
The central bank’s investigation also reviewed his previous tenure as managing director and CEO of GSP Finance Company (Bangladesh) Limited, where multiple irregularities were identified.
These included showing a Tk 49.9 crore loan to Keya Cosmetics Ltd as unclassified without prior approval from the central bank, which significantly reduced GSP Finance’s classified loan ratio.
He was also found to have restructured loan facilities of a subsidiary in violation of regulatory circulars, leading to a financial penalty under the Financial Institutions Act, 1993.
In addition, the regulator alleged that excess penal interest was imposed on a loan account of Dorin Hotels & Resorts Ltd during the Covid period, despite repeated instructions to comply with regulatory directives.
According to the Bangladesh Bank, Islam failed to disclose these issues in his application and affidavit when seeking appointment as managing director of International Leasing.
“Considering his involvement in the irregularities and submission of a false affidavit, he has been removed from the post under Section 19 of the Finance Company Act, 2023,” the central bank said.
The regulator also advised the leasing company to appoint a qualified senior official as acting managing director in line with existing guidelines.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/bb-removes-intl-leasing-md-over-irregularities-4157301
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Hasnat Abdullah seeks cars for MPs after govt moves to set up offices for them
21 APRIL 2026
After the government arranged offices for MPs in their constituencies in response to an earlier demand, NCP lawmaker, Hasnat Abdullah, has now called for car facilities to help them better connect with the people.
On March 31, NCP MP Atiqur Rahman Mujahid demanded offices for MPs in their constituencies.
Raising the issue on a point of order today, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (LGRD) Mir Shahe Alam today said that a few days ago, an MP had complained that there was no designated place for lawmakers to sit when visiting upazila parishads.
He said that in response, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman instructed him to take necessary measures.
“We have issued a government order to prepare a room in every upazila parishad -- with furniture and attached bathrooms -- for MPs and ministers to sit,” he said.
He added that these rooms will be available soon. The rooms will be called “Inspection Rooms,” since there is no provision to allocate rooms in the name of MPs.
“MPs will be able to sit there, carry out necessary activities, and meet with the public. If an MP's constituency has two, three, or four upazilas, they will have offices in all of them,” the junior minister added.
Taking the floor, NCP MP Hasnat lauded the decision.
“Now we have a place to sit… As the most junior member of this parliament, let me say something. The UNO has a car, the upazila chairman has a car, but we MPs have to hire cars. Out of embarrassment, we don’t say this publicly,” he said.
“Now that we have been given offices, if we are also provided cars to reach the people, it would be easier for us to connect with them,” he added.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed later said the prime minister has instructed that MPs will not receive any tax-free cars or plots. Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shahjahan Chowdhury informed the House that his party has also taken a similar decision.
Salahuddin requested the prime minister to take steps to arrange cars for MPs after the discussion.
Source: thedailystar.net
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EU Special Envoy Travels to Kabul, Afghanistan
By Khaama Press
April 22, 2026
EU envoy visits Kabul for talks with Taliban officials, focusing on aid, diplomacy, and cooperation as Afghanistan faces a dire humanitarian crisis.
The European Union’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Gilles Bertrand, visited Kabul on Wednesday and held talks with Taliban officials, the Taliban foreign ministry said.
During the meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Naeem, both sides discussed political, economic and trade ties, as well as prospects for expanding cooperation through dialogue and diplomacy.
Taliban officials welcomed EU humanitarian assistance but called for increased aid, urging a shift toward long-term development projects to address unemployment and economic hardship.
The EU envoy stressed continued engagement and described dialogue as the most practical path forward, while the EU has yet to issue an official statement on the visit.
Afghanistan is facing a dire humanitarian and economic crisis, with millions dependent on international aid amid widespread poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to basic services. The situation has worsened following political changes and reduced international funding.
The United Nations and aid agencies have repeatedly warned of a deepening human crisis, highlighting urgent needs in healthcare, food supply, and employment as winter shocks and economic stagnation persist.
Separately, EU sources confirmed that a Taliban technical delegation is expected to visit Brussels for talks, even as the bloc considers controversial plans to return rejected asylum seekers to Afghanistan despite human rights concerns.
The visit marks the envoy’s third trip to Kabul, underscoring ongoing but cautious engagement between the EU and Taliban authorities amid mounting humanitarian pressure.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/eu-special-envoy-travels-to-kabul-afghanistan/
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Afghanistan’s UN Seat: A Call for Recognition
April 22, 2026
Nearly five years after the Islamic Emirate assumed power in Afghanistan, the question of the country’s representation at the United Nations remains unresolved. This prolonged uncertainty has created confusion both for Afghanistan and for the UN, limiting Afghanistan’s role in global decision-making and complicating diplomatic engagement.
The permanent seat of Afghanistan at the UN has not yet been transferred to the Islamic Emirate through the Credentials Committee. Instead, conditions have been set by the international community, including the demand for an inclusive government, respect for human rights, and commitments to combat terrorism and narcotics. The Islamic Emirate has consistently emphasized that governance and rights are internal matters, while assuring the world that Afghan soil will not be used to threaten other nations.
This unresolved situation has had practical consequences. For four consecutive years, Afghanistan has been deprived of voting rights in the UN General Assembly due to unpaid membership fees, now exceeding $900,000. The Islamic Emirate has made clear that payment of this debt is contingent upon the rightful transfer of Afghanistan’s UN seat. Without this recognition, Afghanistan remains sidelined from decisions that directly affect its people and future.
The continuation of this ambiguity benefits no one. On one hand, Afghanistan is prevented from contributing to international discussions, while on the other, the UN itself faces difficulty in addressing Afghan issues without clear representation. This lack of clarity undermines cooperation and prolongs mistrust.
Afghanistan today enjoys nationwide security, and work in all sectors continues. Stability has been restored, and the country is moving forward in governance, development, and international engagement. The rightful transfer of Afghanistan’s UN seat to the Islamic Emirate would not only end confusion but also allow Afghanistan to participate constructively in the global community.
Recognition of Afghanistan’s seat is not merely a symbolic gesture; it is a practical necessity. It would enable Afghanistan to fulfill its responsibilities as a UN member, pay its dues, and contribute to collective decision-making. More importantly, it would prevent further diplomatic stagnation and allow the UN to engage Afghanistan with clarity and confidence.
The time has come for the United Nations to resolve this matter. Afghanistan’s seat must be handed over to the Islamic Emirate so that both Afghanistan and the UN can move beyond uncertainty and work together on issues of mutual concern. Only through recognition and clarity can Afghanistan’s voice be heard in the international arena, ensuring that its progress and stability are reflected in global decision-making.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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