India’s Prison System Is Changing: Muslim, SC And ST Inmate Share Falls To Two-Decade Low
New Age Islam News Bureau
10 May 2026
The 2024 NCRB Prison Report shows a historic decline in the percentage of Muslims, SCs, and STs in jails, as improved legal aid and the 2023 Model Prisons Act begin to reshape prison demographics.(File photo/Representational)
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• India’s prison system is changing: Muslim, SC and ST inmate share falls to two-decade low
• Two wins, two losses: What India, Pakistan have learned a year after war
• Iran demands guarantees for footballers who served in the Revolutionary Guard ahead of the 2026 World Cup
• Afghan Migrants In Pakistan Face Abuse, Detention And Forced Deportation, Rights Group Says
• Zahid calls for firm action against insults on Islam and Malay Rulers to safeguard national harmony
• Grand Mufti of Oman calls on Muslims to stand in one row to confront aggression on Gaza, Iran
• Dozens killed in jihadist attacks in central Mali
• Tensions Remain High As Washington Awaits Iran's Peace Proposal Response
• South Africa’s Response: Xenophobic Attacks on African Nationals
India
• Caught between caution and pragmatism, Bengal Muslims weigh first BJP Govtin state
• Owaisi on TCS Nashik case: Intentional attempt to trouble educated Muslim youths
• 'Planned agenda’: Owaisi alleges Muslims being targeted based on hatred
• Muslim population in India may match that of Indonesia after Census: KirenRijiju
• For ‘lavish’ Haj, the rich get five-star stay, multi-cuisine buffet
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Pakistan
• Pak General's 'Why English?' Jab At Indian Army Backfires Into Meme Fest
• Pakistan fines foreign shipping company after finding crew with expired documents
• Pakistan thinks it’s playing Trump, the opposite may be true
• Pakistan emerged as 'responsible' nation, 'guarantor' of global peace: PM Shehbaz Sharif
• Car bomb attack kills 12 at checkpoint in north-western Pakistan
• Pakistan Defence Minister faces global outrage, condemnation over Israel remarks
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Mideast
• UK man charged for threatening messages to Israeli embassy, Muslim orgs, MP office
• Omani Mufti calls for unity against aggression on Gaza, Iran
• Iran wants team members who served in the Revolutionary Guard to get visas for the World Cup
• Israel deports two detained over Gaza-bound flotilla
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South Asia
• Pakistan Army Chief Says Islamabad Wants Afghanistan To End Support For Militants
• Aid Serve Needy Afghans, Not Politics
• 2 Martyred, 51 Injured in Herat Road Crash
• Pakistan pitches ‘vast’ investment opportunities to Bangladesh amid warming ties
• Bangladesh’s deposed PM Hasina congratulates newly appointed West Bengal CM SuvenduAdhikari
• Police-people trust will make crime control easier: PM
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Southeast Asia
• Selangor records 1,675 new Muslim converts in 2025, credits NGOs and mosques for rise
• AADK detects over 1,000 drug-positive cases at Malaysia border entry points since 2024
• Kommuniti Madani must be govt's eyes and ears at grassroots level, says Fahmi
• Malaysia tightens border health checks as hantavirus alert raised, says Dzulkefly
• Ayob Khan reiterates no police links to Ketereh murder suspect’s family, warns against misinformation
• PM Anwar confirms RON95 aid review, stresses income brackets must not be wrongly affected
• AbangJohari says Sarawak to acquire more federal assets to boost economy and create high‑tech jobs
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Arab world
• Eid Al Adha in UAE explained: Sacrifice rules, zakat, slaughterhouses and traditions
• King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language Signs MoU with the Muslim World League to Cooperate in Serving Arabic Language
• On Behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Attends Inauguration of Costa Rica’s President
• Eid Al Adha 2026 explained: Moon sighting, Arafat Day and UAE holiday
• QU concludes individual college graduation ceremonies
• A rare 60-page Quran documenting Muslims’ interest in the Quran is on display at the Quran Museum in Mecca
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Europe
• Man in court for 'hateful messages' to Muslim group
• Hartlepool to host memorial shield football tournament at former school of journalist and humanitarian Syed Taalay Ahmed
• Beyond the Havan – The Fiji I refuse to lose
• Race row as Malcolm Offord answers ‘ask Sarwar’ when quizzed on MSP’s sharia law claims
• Putin claims war with Ukraine could be coming to an end
• Russian Forces Strike Kharkiv Region with Molniya Kamikaze Drones Despite Declared Ceasefire
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North America
• CAIR-CO Condemns Racist ‘N-Word’ Photo Shared by High School Students
• Fragile Iran ceasefire appears to hold as Iran warns the U.S. against attacks on its oil tankers and other ships
• Suspected boat explosion injures 11 in Miami
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Africa
• Reimaging the Zionist-an African Perspective
• Muslim group corroborates Fani-Kayode on reassignment to S/Africa
• APC Screening Committee clears Hamzat for Lagos guber primary
• Severe weather causes widespread damage across South Africa's Garden Route
• South Africa, Beloved South Africa with Xenophobic Attitudes
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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India’s prison system is changing: Muslim, SC and ST inmate share falls to two-decade low
by: Zeeshan Shaikh
May 10, 2026
The 2024 NCRB Prison Report shows a historic decline in the percentage of Muslims, SCs, and STs in jails, as improved legal aid and the 2023 Model Prisons Act begin to reshape prison demographics.(File photo/Representational)
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A significant shift is occurring within the walls of India’s correctional facilities. The demographic data inside India”s prisons released by the National Crime Records Bureau in its Prison in India 2024 report reveals a consistent decline in the percentage share of Muslims, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) within the country’s prison system over the last two decades..
While these communities have historically been overrepresented relative to their share in the national population, the latest figures from 2024 show that their proportion among both convicts and undertrials has fallen to its lowest level in more than two decades.
Muslims, who comprise 14.2 per cent of India’s population, accounted for 23.04 per cent of undertrials in 2003. By 2024, their share had declined to 18.81 per cent. Similarly, their representation among convicts fell from 18.91 per cent in 2003 to 15.9 per cent in 2024.
A decade-long analysis of India’s prison population points to a gradual decline in the proportional representation of Muslims in jails, even as the overall number of inmates has risen sharply since 2013.
According to the NCRB’s Prison Statistics India 2024 report, Muslims accounted for 22,145 of the country’s 1,29,608 convicts in 2013, making up 17.08 per cent of the total convict population. By 2024, the total number of convicts had increased to 1,36,138, but the number of Muslim convicts dipped marginally to 21,640, reducing their share to 15.9 per cent.
A similar trend was visible among undertrials — prisoners awaiting the completion of their cases. In 2013, Muslims comprised 57,936 of India’s 2,78,503undertrials, accounting for 20.8 per cent of the total undertrial population. By 2024, although the number of Muslim undertrials had risen to 69,864, their share fell to 18.81 per cent as the overall undertrial population surged to 3,71,440.
The data suggests that while Muslim inmate numbers have remained stable or grown modestly in absolute terms, their increase has not kept pace with the rapid expansion of India’s prison population over the past decade.
Muslims make up 14.2 per cent of the country’s population, but concerns have long been raised over their overrepresentation in prisons. At one point, Muslims accounted for nearly 24.72 per cent of the country’s undertrial population.
The issue had earlier triggered political intervention. In 2013, then Union Home Minister SushilkumarShinde had written to state governments urging them to ensure innocent Muslim youth were not wrongly arrested.
The data also highlights significant regional variations. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of Muslim convicts in 2024 at 5,818, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 2,378 and West Bengal with 1,836. Among undertrials, Uttar Pradesh again reported the highest number of Muslim inmates at 16,471, followed by West Bengal at 8,423 and Bihar at 6,685.
A major caveat in analysing the national prison data is the absence of religion-wise undertrial figures from Maharashtra for 2022, 2023 and 2024. Maharashtra, which has one of the country’s largest prison populations, did not provide a religious breakup for its 31,523 undertrials in 2024. Historically, the state has recorded a high number of Muslim undertrials — 6,182 in 2013, the second-highest in the country at the time.
Among convicts, Jammu and Kashmir recorded the highest proportion of Muslim inmates in 2024, with Muslims accounting for 59.41 per cent of all convicts. West Bengal and Assam followed closely, with Muslims making up over 37 per cent of convicts in both states. Kerala reported a Muslim convict share of 25.66 per cent, while Maharashtra and Delhi recorded shares above 23 per cent.
Among undertrials, Muslims accounted for 68.65 per cent of all inmates in Jammu and Kashmir and over 50 per cent in Assam. West Bengal recorded a Muslim undertrial share of 41.5 per cent, while Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi also reported significantly high proportions.
Scheduled Castes, who constitute 16.6 per cent of India’s population, accounted for 22.37 per cent of undertrials in 2003. By 2024, their share had fallen sharply to 16.62 per cent nearly equal to their share in the general population. Their representation among convicts also declined from 20.72 per cent in 2003 to 18.42 per cent in 2024.
For nearly a decade, the SC share in prisons remained consistently high and even peaked in 2013, when SC convicts accounted for 22.47 per cent of all convicts nationally. However, the last decade has seen a sharp decline in their prison representation.
Scheduled Tribes, who make up 8.6 per cent of India’s population, also saw a steady decline in prison representation over the last two decades.
STs accounted for 14.25 per cent of undertrials in 2003, a figure that fell to 9.19 per cent in 2024. Among convicts, their share declined from 15.95 per cent in 2003 to 12.29 per cent in 2024.
Unlike SCs, whose prison representation remained high for nearly a decade before declining, the representation of STs has shown a more gradual but consistent downward trend over the years. By 2013, the share of ST undertrials and convicts had already fallen to around 11 per cent nationally.
Source: indianexpress.com
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Two wins, two losses: What India, Pakistan have learned a year after war
By AbidHussain
10 May 2026
Commuters ride under a billboard featuring Pakistan's prime minister and military figures during the first commemoration of the 2025 Pakistan-India conflict, in Peshawar, Pakistan, on May 7 2026 [Arshad Arbab/EPA]
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Islamabad, Pakistan – In Pakistan, May began with streets in major cities dotted with banners and posters honouring the military leadership that, in the official telling, guided the country’s defences and led the nation to victory in the four-day aerial war with India last year.
At the Nur Khan Auditorium in the city of Rawalpindi on Thursday, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) held a ceremony marking its “achievements” in downing Indian jets. In Lahore on Friday evening, a government-organised concert at the city’s Liberty Chowk celebrated the conflict’s success in what Pakistan calls the “Day of the Battle of Truth”.
But across the border, India, too, is celebrating what its government and military insist was a victory for them. On Thursday, May 7, Prime Minister NarendraModi changed his profile picture on X to the official logo of Operation Sindoor, India’s name for the May 2025 military operation against Pakistan, and urged every Indian to do the same. “A year ago, our armed forces displayed unparalleled courage, precision and resolve,” Modi wrote on X. “Today, we remain as steadfast as ever in our resolve to defeat terrorism and destroy its enabling ecosystem.”
Both governments put their militaries before the cameras. At a news conference lasting more than two hours in New Delhi, Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti said India had “destroyed 13 Pakistani aircraft” and “struck 11 airfields”.
Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media arm of Pakistan’s armed forces, told reporters that the country had defeated an enemy “five times larger than itself” and had shown only “10 percent” of its military potential. “We are prepared,” he said. “If anyone wants to test us, they are welcome to do so.”
Analysts, however, say that behind the public claims of victory and the celebrations in both countries, key questions remain about whether the South Asian neighbours have drawn lessons, both from their respective gains in the conflict and from the weaknesses exposed during and after the fighting.
On April 22, 2025, gunmen attacked tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam, killing 26 civilians. India blamed the attack on Pakistan, an accusation Islamabad rejected.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, striking multiple sites deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. It insisted it was targeting “terrorist” infrastructure, but Pakistani officials said civilians bore the brunt of the assault. Pakistan retaliated with Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos.
Contrary to official narratives on both sides, the four-day conflict that followed did not end in a neat victory for either nation.
Pakistan can point to the aerial exchange on the night of May 6-7. Its Chinese-built J-10C jets shot down Indian aircraft, including Rafales, during the opening phase of the conflict.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June 2025, India’s second chief of defence staff, General Anil Chauhan, admitted to jet losses on the first day of the fighting. Air Marshal Bharti had framed it more plainly days earlier: “Losses are a part of combat.”
Pakistan also emerged with what many analysts saw as a diplomatic and narrative advantage. It accepted US President Donald Trump’s assertion that he had brought about the ceasefire that ended the war on May 10, nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, and has, over the past year, emerged as a significant diplomatic force, acting as the main mediator of a ceasefire in the US war on Iran.
For its part, India can also point to significant military outcomes. Its BrahMos long-range missiles struck multiple Pakistani airbases, including Nur Khan in Rawalpindi and Bholari in the Sindh province.
India also used Israeli-made drones that penetrated as far as Karachi and Lahore, and it suspended the Indus Waters Treaty on April 23, 2025, a pact that governs river-water sharing between the neighbours. The decision carries consequences far beyond the military exchange.
While commercial satellite imagery released by Western companies extensively documented damage at Pakistani military installations, the same companies, Maxar, now renamed Vantor, and Planet Labs, released no imagery of the Indian military sites allegedly struck by Pakistan during or after the conflict.
Meanwhile, Pakistani losses were subjected to open-source scrutiny, while Indian losses were not. Both readings of the conflict contain elements of truth. Yet, neither is complete.
The gap between the two narratives is not merely rhetorical, say analysts. It has consequences for how honestly each side is absorbing what the conflict actually revealed, and how seriously the task of addressing genuine vulnerabilities is being taken.
At Thursday’s news conference in Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s military offered its most detailed public account yet of what it has done to bolster its capabilities over the past year.
Lieutenant General Chaudhry announced the formal operationalisation of Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC), which the military described as being “equipped with modern technology and capable of targeting the enemy with high precision from every direction”.
The presentation unveiled a series of newly inducted systems in the last 12 months: the Fatah-III supersonic cruise missile; the Fatah-IV, with a stated range of 750km (466 miles); and the Fatah-V, described as a 1,000km (621-mile) deep-strike rocket system.
“The Rocket Force was not created specifically to ‘solve’ the BrahMos problem,” said TughralYamin, a defence analyst and former brigadier in the Pakistani army.
“Its purpose was institutional and doctrinal: to streamline and accelerate conventional missile decision-making while maintaining a clear separation from Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent architecture.”
Muhammad Faisal, a Sydney-based defence and foreign policy analyst, agreed with that distinction but pointed to the practical implications.
“Pakistan now has credible and usable conventional strike options,” he told Al Jazeera. “It will not stop India’s high-speed standoff strikes. But in the next round, India could expect Pakistan’s conventional cruise missile retaliation.”
“The rocket force seems to be still in its evolution phase,” he said, adding that newer systems, such as the Fatah-III, appear to provide “a credible response against BrahMos and other high-speed projectiles”.
Pakistan’s broader military procurement has continued in parallel. Islamabad raised its budget by 20 percent, allocating 2.55 trillion Pakistani rupees ($9bn) for military expenditure, according to budget documents presented by Minister of Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb in June last year.
A 2025 report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission noted that Beijing had offered to sell Pakistan up to 40 J-35A fifth-generation fighter jets, although no deliveries have yet taken place.
In December 2025, Washington notified Congress of a proposed $686m package to upgrade Pakistan’s F-16 fleet, extending its operational life to 2040.
Christopher Clary, a political scientist at the University at Albany, cautioned against interpreting the upgrades as a straightforward shift in capability.
“We don’t know whether this will be just a ‘Red Queen’s race,’ where both sides race as fast as possible just to stay in the same relative position against one another”, he told Al Jazeera, “or if one party will pull away the next time around”.
Islamabad, according to Pakistani defence analyst Yamin, is now pursuing the longer-range HQ-19 ballistic missile defence system, with induction anticipated later in 2026.
Faisal, the Sydney-based analyst, described the Pakistani Air Force’s (PAF) opening performance on May 7, 2025, as impressive, but said that the later stages of the conflict exposed significant weaknesses.
“The PAF’s performance in the first phase of the conflict was genuinely remarkable,” he said. “It displayed both coherence and escalation discipline. However, later BrahMos strikes on airbases depicted gaps in ground air defences.”
“Pakistan will have to meet this challenge through hardened shelters, dispersals, and urgent runway repair capacities to avoid being incapacitated in the next conflict,” he said.
The University at Albany’s Clary noted that the BrahMos missile’s combat debut had altered the strategic calculations for both sides.
“The BrahMos had never been used before in combat”, he said, “and so its use in 2025 will have given Pakistani air defence planners, and the Chinese manufacturers that make many of the Pakistani systems, a look at the technology”.
Whether there are straightforward countermeasures, or whether dealing with a hypersonic cruise missile like BrahMos remains beyond Pakistan’s current technological reach, is still unclear.
“The conflict demonstrated that geography alone no longer provides strategic depth in the age of long-range precision weapons, drones, cyber capabilities, and satellite-guided systems,” he said.
“Deep strikes into Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi demonstrate that ‘geographic immunity’ has eroded,” he said. “Doctrinally, Pakistan’s military is indicating preparation for conventional strikes from both ground and sea-based platforms to strike the Indian heartland, even at its southern shores, far from Pakistan.”
But that assessment is complicated by fiscal realities. Islamabad increased defence spending even as it cut overall federal expenditure by 7 percent to comply with its International Monetary Fund loan programme.
Meanwhile, India’s defence budget for 2025-26, according to Indian budget documents, stands at approximately $78.7bn, nearly nine times Pakistan’s official allocation.
Source: www.aljazeera.com
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Iran demands guarantees for footballers who served in the Revolutionary Guard ahead of the 2026 World Cup
May 10 2026
Iran is demanding visa guarantees for footballers who served in the Revolutionary Guard to participate in the 2026 World Cup. The tournament will be hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran has stated that the country will definitely participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but demands guarantees from the tournament organizers regarding visa issuance and the treatment of the Iranian delegation. This was reported by the Associated Press with reference to Iranian media, according to UNN.
The President of the Football Federation of Iran, Mehdi Taj, emphasized that Tehran is paying special attention to team members and coaching staff who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
"All players and technical staff, especially those who performed military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, must be issued visas without problems,"
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico. At the same time, Iranian citizens remain under entry restrictions that have been in effect in the US following decisions by the Donald Trump administration.
According to Taj, Iran has already presented FIFA with a series of conditions regarding participation in the tournament. These include security guarantees, visa issuance, and proper treatment of Iranian footballers, officials, the national flag, and the anthem.
The discussion surrounding visas intensified after Canadian authorities last month barred Taj himself from entering the country for the FIFA Congress due to his possible ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the US and Canada have designated as a terrorist organization.
The issue could also affect one of the leaders of the Iranian national team – striker and team captain Mehdi Taremi, who completed mandatory military service within the structures of the Revolutionary Guard.
Source: unn.ua
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Afghan Migrants In Pakistan Face Abuse, Detention And Forced Deportation, Rights Group Says
By Fidel Rahmati
May 10, 2026
The Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO) said in a new report that Afghan refugees and migrants in Pakistan are facing arbitrary arrests, mistreatment, extortion and the threat of forced deportation.
In a report released on Friday, the organization said more than 3.4 million Afghan migrants have been returned or deported from Pakistan and Iran since 2023 amid intensifying crackdowns on undocumented foreigners.
According to the report, 68.3% of surveyed Afghans said they had been detained or imprisoned, while 96.4% of detainees reported experiencing multiple forms of abuse during arrest or detention.
The report added that 75.6% of respondents faced threats, humiliation and other forms of psychological abuse, while 72.4% were held for more than 48 hours without judicial review.
According to AMSO, the report was prepared jointly with the World Organisation Against Torture and submitted to the United Nations Committee Against Torture on March 13, 2026.
The findings were based on a survey of 41 Afghan nationals, six in-depth interviews and documentation from organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Pakistan has accelerated deportation campaigns against undocumented Afghans since late 2023, citing security concerns and economic pressures. Human rights organizations, however, have warned that many returnees face serious risks after being sent back to Afghanistan, particularly journalists, former government workers, activists and women.
The report comes as Pakistan continues large-scale operations targeting Afghan migrants in major cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi. Afghan families have repeatedly reported raids, arrests and pressure from authorities to leave the country despite holding refugee documents or pending resettlement cases.
The United Nations estimates that millions of Afghans remain displaced internally or abroad following Afghanistan’s political and economic crisis after 2021. Aid agencies have warned that mass deportations from neighboring countries could worsen the humanitarian situation inside Afghanistan, where poverty, unemployment and food insecurity remain widespread.
Pakistan has long hosted one of the world’s largest Afghan refugee populations, with many Afghans living in the country for decades after fleeing conflict and instability at home. However, relations between Afghan migrants and Pakistani authorities have become increasingly strained amid growing political and security tensions in the region.
Source: www.khaama.com
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Zahid calls for firm action against insults on Islam and Malay Rulers to safeguard national harmony
10 May 2026
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said unease among the Malay community is deepening as the sanctity of Islam and the standing of the Malay Rulers are increasingly being challenged through various issues that stir public sensitivities. — Bernama pic
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KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad ZahidHamidi has called for insults against Islam and the institution of the Malay Rulers to be dealt with firmly, fairly and wisely, to protect religious dignity, state institutions and national harmony.
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He said unease among the Malay community is deepening as the sanctity of Islam and the standing of the Malay Rulers are increasingly being challenged through various issues that stir public sensitivities.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, cited concerns including insults against the word Allah, jokes mocking halal matters, objections to the azan (call to prayer), and acts of disrespect towards the Malay Rulers.
“Islam is the religion of the Federation, and the Malay Rulers are the pillars of national sovereignty. So when these two main pillars are disturbed, the people’s anxiety cannot be treated as a small matter,” he said in a speech at the MusyawarahNasional themed Malay Unease: What Is the Solution?
He stressed that while freedom of speech must be respected, it cannot be used as a pretext to insult religion, belittle the institution of the Malay Rulers or undermine national harmony.
Ahmad Zahid said it is time to review and strengthen the country’s legal framework to ensure it remains relevant to current challenges.
He added that Malay unease extends beyond religion and royalty, also involving economic, education, unity and political stability issues.
On the economy, he said Malays remain the largest group of consumers and workers but are still not strong asset owners, stressing the need to move beyond aid towards ownership, control and participation in future industries.
On education, he highlighted the mismatch between graduates and industry needs, noting that 35.8 per cent or 1.96 million graduates are working in semi-skilled or low-skilled jobs.
Ahmad Zahid also warned that rising racial sentiment and prejudice on social media could erode national unity, adding that disputes over language, identity, food heritage and cultural sensitivities are increasingly causing tension.
He further said Malay politics must return to unity, civility and strategy, warning against internal divisions and power struggles that could weaken the community’s position.
“Malay politics must return to reason, civility and strategy, not just to win elections, but to ensure this race continues to hold the power to decide its own future,” he said.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Grand Mufti of Oman calls on Muslims to stand in one row to confront aggression on Gaza, Iran
09 May 2026
The Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman Sheikh Ahmed Al Khalili condemned on Saturday the Zionist aggression on Gaza calling on all Muslims to stand in one row to confront the aggression on Gaza and Iran.
In a post on the X platform monitored by the Yemeni News Agency Saba he said I strongly condemn the brutal Zionist aggression on dear Gaza and we offer condolences to the afflicted and congratulate the martyrs and pray to God to envelop them in His mercy.
He called on all Muslims to stand in one row to confront the aggression on Gaza or Iran or any part of the lands of Muslims for the Islamic nation is one nation
Source: www.saba.ye
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Dozens killed in jihadist attacks in central Mali
10/05/2026
A fresh wave of attacks by jihadist fighters in central Mali killed dozens of people, local and security sources said Saturday.
Friday's attacks were claimed by the al Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), who had already killed at least 30 people in attacks on villages on Wednesday.
"Our hearts are bleeding," one local youth leader said, accusing nearby army detachments of doing nothing to help, despite multiple calls.
One security source described the situation in the region as "worrying". "JNIM is targeting villages that refused to sign local agreements," the source added.
The latest attacks come after JNIM and the Tuareg-dominated Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) carried out an unprecedented assault against the ruling junta in Mali last month.
Source: www.france24.com
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Tensions Remain High As Washington Awaits Iran's Peace Proposal Response
May 09, 2026
Iran blamed the United States for a recent escalation of skirmishes in the Persian Gulf as Washington awaits a response from Tehran over the latest proposal to end their war.
Senior US officials, from President Donald Trump to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said on May 8 that Iran’s response to a US proposal aimed at ending the conflict -- which comes as fragile cease-fire efforts continued alongside fresh military incidents in and around the Strait of Hormuz -- was expected within hours.
But as of May 9, there was no word from Tehran on its response other than a tersely worded statement questioning Washington's seriousness in the talks.
"The recent escalation of tensions by American forces in the Persian Gulf and their numerous actions in violating the cease-fire have added to suspicions about the motivation and seriousness of the American side in the path of diplomacy," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a call with Turkish Foreign Minister HakanFidan, according to an Iranian readout published by the semiofficial ISNA news agency.
A day earlier, Rubio told reporters during a visit to Rome the Trump administration was expecting a response "today [May 8] at some point.
Rubio also strongly defended recent US military action in the Persian Gulf and rejected Iranian efforts to regulate shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime route that accounts for around one fifth of global oil and gas supplies.
"Iran now claims that they own, that they have a right to control, an international waterway... That's an unacceptable thing that they're trying to normalize," Rubio said after reports that Tehran had established an agency to approve vessel passage through the strait.
A photo released by US Central Command on May 8 shows the USS Rafael Peralta implementing a maritime blockade against an Iran-flagged crude oil tanker vessel.
“What you saw yesterday was US destroyers moving through international waters being fired upon by the Iranians, and the US responded defensively to protect itself,” he said on May 8. “We didn’t fire. They fired on us.”
Araqchi on May 8 accused Washington of undermining diplomacy, saying in a post on X that “every time a diplomatic solution is on the table,” the United States opts for “a reckless military adventure.”
Source: www.rferl.org
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South Africa’s Response: Xenophobic Attacks on African Nationals
10.05.26
(Pretoria/Moscow Bureau) – The Government of the Republic of South Africa has noted the request by the Republic of Ghana for a debate at the upcoming African Union (AU) Mid-Year Coordination Summit scheduled to take place in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, on the 24th of June 2026 on what it calls “Xenophobic Attacks in the Republic of South Africa against African Nationals”.
Following sporadic incidents of confrontation against some immigrants, among them citizens of fellow African states residing in South Africa by sections in our communities earlier this month, the South African government moved swiftly to condemn acts of confrontation and intimidation and directed all law enforcement agencies to promptly take the necessary actions within the laws of the Republic to guarantee the safety of citizens, residents and visitors and to bring to book all perpetrators whose actions are inconsistent with the rule of law and fundamental values of our Constitution.
It is a matter of public record that on the occasion of our nation’s commemoration of Freedom Day on 27 April 2026, the President of the Republic of South Africa, President Cyril MatamelaRamaphosa, strongly condemned those who took the law into their own hands while affirming the enduring bonds of solidarity and friendship between South Africa and fellow African states and acknowledged the overwhelming support of African countries to South Africa’s liberation struggle. In this regard, the President said:
“We did not walk alone into freedom. We were carried by a tide of solidarity from the nations of Africa, among many others. These countries opened their borders to our liberation fighters. They shared their bread and their homes. They spoke for us when we could not speak for ourselves. The leaders and people of Africa kept our struggle alive. It cannot be, and it must never be, that we trample into the dust the African fellowship that made our freedom possible. We are a people who live the value of ubuntu. We should never allow the legitimate concerns of our communities about illegal migration to breed prejudice towards our fellow Africans. We must not allow these concerns to give rise to xenophobia, directed towards people from other African countries or other parts of the world. Instead, we must insist that the law be upheld and enforced.”
Since the outbreak of these unfortunate incidents, Minister Ronald Lamola has had intensive engagements with a number of fellow African Foreign Ministers and resident African Ambassadors regarding these developments to assure them that these matters are receiving the attention of the relevant authorities in South Africa. Specifically, Minister Lamola engaged his Ghanaian and Nigerian counterparts, and reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to protect the rights of nationals. residents and visitors in line with the rule of law, and to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Furthermore, Minister Lamola went on to clarify developments related to these incidents which alleged that some nationals from Ghana and Nigeria were killed during the recent protests by law enforcement authorities. There is no credible evidence to draw this conclusion at this stage. South Africa cautions against manipulated footages and divisive narratives including fake videos that have been circulating on various social media platforms.
In all his engagements with counterparts, the Minister Lamola reaffirmed South Africa’s unwavering commitment to the Pan-African agenda, Ubuntu and solidarity, the values around which many African states and ordinary people cohered to support the people of South Africa during our struggle against apartheid.
During the discussions, particularly with both Foreign Ministers of Ghana and Nigeria, Minister Lamola highlighted the existing strong and enduring bilateral relations between South Africa and their respective countries which span over several decades, comprising of comprehensive government-to-government, people-to-people and economic co-operation. These relations are co-ordinated at a Presidential level through Bi-National Commissions (BNCs). Against this background, Minister Lamola invited his counterparts to work together through these established mechanisms to address all the challenges which may arise between our respective countries, including addressing the root causes of migration challenges and implementing early warning systems. To this end, Minister Lamola conveyed President Ramaphosa’s commitment to continue discussions with his counterparts during the upcoming sessions of the BNC scheduled for this year.
In all its engagements with fellow African partners since these incidents, South Africa has called for the upholding of diplomatic decorum, mutual respect, transparency, and fraternity and the need to guard against approaches that risk sowing division, escalating tensions at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. In this regard, South Africa welcomes the initiative of countries that have directly reached out to seek clarity and understanding of these incidents.
South Africa has gone to great lengths to welcome and integrate millions of immigrants of African countries – and many others from beyond our continent. According to a conservative estimate, South Africa is home to approximately three million migrants, 90 percent of whom are from the African continent, thus making South Africa the largest host of African immigrants in the world. This has turned the country into a melting pot of various African cultures. Most of these immigrants have integrated into South African society and form a vital bridge between South Africa and their countries of origin at a people-to-people level.
It is also a fact that South Africa’s history of migration and its diverse foreign-born population have intersected with economic anxieties around unemployment, and service delivery, contributing to period tensions between some locals and foreign nationals most of whom lack a legal immigration status, resulting in tension.
South Africa has demonstrated its commitment to all the regional, continental and global frameworks which seek to facilitate the movement of people across borders. In this regard, South Africa is one of the seven SADC member states out of 16 member states that has ratified the 2005 SADC Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons.
Whilst South Africa supports the overall objectives of both the SADC Protocol and the AU Free Movement Of Persons protocol, we recognise that the slow progress towards their ratification and entry into force is due to several challenges faced by member states. These challenges include economic and social pressures, governance and policy difficulties, security challenges, and pressure on Border Management Systems. Some of these challenges are acutely pronounced in South Africa as the host of the largest number of immigrants on the continent.
As a matter of priority, South Africa is currently reviewing its immigration policy framework in order to better respond to these challenges. To this end, a White Paper on Migration has been developed. Through the White Paper, South Africa intends to align with international best practices; and there are ongoing discussions in order to agree on bilateral migration dispensations with some partners in the region.
It should be noted that in our context, non-Nationals are embedded in our society, and we have no refugee camps for asylum-seekers as is the case in other countries, as we promote a humane policy of integration.
It is against this background that the South African Government is in the process of improving the state’s capacity to manage immigration through a number of interventions.
Economic Protection: Just as Ghana’s GIPC Act reserve certain sectors for its own citizens, South Africa introduces a points-based visa system to ensure migration supports national development.
Compliance and Sovereignty: Our Intelligent Population Register will guarantee that entry is legal, documented, and merit-based, safeguarding both dignity and national security.
Shared Responsibility: By adopting the “First Safe Country” principle, South Africa calls for a regional system of refugee protection where compassion is matched by administrative capacity, ensuring that there is dignity for those in need without overwhelming any single state.
Border Management Authority: Since April 2023, the Border Management Authority (BMA) has deported 500 000 people. Moreover, steps are being taken to demolish and rebuild South Africa’s six busiest land ports of entry as part of a transformative public-private partnership (PPP).
The continent’s migration challenges need to shift from apportioning blame to practical solutions based on burden-sharing. This challenge on our continent needs to be addressed, not by pandering to short-term gains, but rather systemic patterns of change that address the root causes of irregular migration.
It is against this background that regional integration, driven by a Pan-African agenda, forms a significant part of how South Africa relates with the rest of the continent and the world. For South Africa, Pan-Africanism demands an African consciousness and an African loyalty; the spirit that the plight of its people and that of the rest of the African continent is inextricably intertwined. It is imperative that migration remains safe, orderly and regular so that countries of origin, transit and destination assume their responsibilities in a structured manner.
In conclusion, South Africa remains open to continued diplomatic engagement and constructive dialogue with any State on matters of mutual concern, hence South Africa finds Ghana’s decision to escalate concerns about irregular migration to the African Union regrettable.
However, should the AU deem it appropriate to place the matter on the Agenda, South Africa will also propose an agenda item on the push and pull factors of migration, including good governance, rule of law, and democracy, in accordance with the Constitutive Act of the AU.
“South Africa will continue to lead with a Pan-African heart. Our commitment is to solidarity, the rule of law, and the safety of all who reside within our borders. Migration must be managed through cooperation, compassion and continental responsibility,” said Minister Lamola.
Source: www.pressenza.com
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India
Caught between caution and pragmatism, Bengal Muslims weigh first BJP govt in state
May 10, 2026
Kolkata, As dusk settled over Metiabruz in southwest Kolkata on May 9, television screens inside crowded restaurants replayed visuals of SuvenduAdhikari taking oath as West Bengal's first BJP chief minister, a moment that until recently would have seemed politically unimaginable in a state shaped for decades by anti-BJP sentiment.
For a community that constitutes nearly 30 per cent of the state's population, the arrival of a BJP government has triggered a mix of anxiety, pragmatism and cautious expectation.
There are apprehensions over representation and security, particularly because the BJP did not field a single Muslim candidate in the assembly polls. However, there is also a quieter sentiment that the verdict must be accepted democratically and judged through governance rather than rhetoric.
"We believe in democratic governance, leadership and equality. In a democracy, the government should function for everyone," said Mohammed Kamruzzaman, general secretary of the All Bengal Minority Youth Federation.
"Earlier, we had Mamata Banerjee, and now SuvenduAdhikari has come through a democratic mandate. We expect the government to uphold 'rajdharma' and ensure equal treatment for all citizens," he said.
The sentiment reflects the shifting mood within Bengal's Muslim electorate, after an election that fractured political assumptions built over the past decade. For years, Muslim voters had largely consolidated behind the TMC. In the 2021 polls, that consolidation acted as a firewall against the saffron surge.
Source: economictimes.com
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Owaisi on TCS Nashik case: Intentional attempt to trouble educated Muslim youths
May 10, 2026
ChhatrapatiSambhajinagar: AIMIM chief AsaduddinOwaisi on Saturday alleged that the Nashik TCS sexual exploitation and religious harassment case was an "intentional attempt to trouble educated Muslim youths," claiming the matter would not stand legal scrutiny.
"The court will do justice and declare the accused innocent. The case is not going to withstand the legal test," Owaisi told reporters in ChhatrapatiSambhajinagar, while also alleging a media trial in the case.
Referring to the recent arrest of a female TCS staffer from the residence of AIMIM corporatorMateen Patel, Owaisi said the corporator would contest the matter legally. "Let them (parties in govt) target us. At least they are not calling us the B team (of BJP). We will face it," he said, adding that it was "absolutely wrong to link the matter with his party" as its functionaries were unaware of the incident.
Owaisi said only one of the nine FIRs filed in the case named the woman for hurting religious sentiments. "As per the TCS statement, the staffer was not part of the HR team and she was transferred. The complainant in the case is a member of the ruling party. Nobody can deliver a verdict in the matter except the court," he said.
Source: timesofindia.com
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'Planned agenda’: Owaisi alleges Muslims being targeted based on hatred
May 09, 2026
AIMIM chief and MP AsaduddinOwaisi on Saturday alleged that Muslims are being targeted under a "planned agenda" and claimed that issues such as Special Intensive Revision (SIR) are being linked with National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).
Addressing a press conference in ChhatrapatiSambhajinagar, Maharashtra, Owaisi said the Supreme Court had made mapping mandatory and claimed that if mapping is not done, it would be carried out using parents' names.
He further alleged that the application works through location tracking and claimed that during the verification of 27 lakh names, 97 per cent belonged to Muslims.
"Muslims are being trapped under a planned agenda, and all this is being done based on hatred. The entire matter will be placed before the court, and allegations can be levelled against anyone," he said.
"SIR is being linked with NRC and NPR. NRC and NPR will be handled by the Home Ministry. The Supreme Court has said mapping is necessary and if mapping is not done, then it will be carried out using parents' names", AsaduddinOwaisi said in Sambhajinagar.
Referring to the Nida Khan case, Owaisi said Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had clarified that Nida Khan was not an HR employee. He alleged that her name was made public even before the FIR was registered and accused the ruling party of conducting a media trial.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
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Muslim population in India may match that of Indonesia after Census: KirenRijiju
May 10, 2026
Union Minister KirenRijiju on Saturday (May 9, 2026) said that the Muslim population in India is likely to be nearly the same as that of Indonesia after the Census.
“The Muslim population in the country is likely to be nearly on par with Indonesia’s population. Once the Census (data) is out, it will be the likely outcome,” the Union Minister for Minority Affairs told reporters after a programme in Mumbai.
As the last Census was conducted in 2011 and the decennial exercise could not be conducted in 2021, the population would have grown, he said.
Highlighting concerns over the declining population of the Parsi community, he stated that their numbers stand at around 52,000 to 55,000 in the country.
The Parsis are the smallest minority community in India and the government is working to protect them and ensure their numbers do not shrink further, he added.
Source: www.thehindu.com
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For ‘lavish’ Haj, the rich get five-star stay, multi-cuisine buffet
May 9, 2026
As the Haj pilgrims clad in ihram, men in two-piece, unstitched white fabric and women in loose-fitting, modest clothing, exit from Haj terminals in Jeddah or Medina, the waiting luxury cars transfer them to the five-star hotels facing the Haram Sharif.
Located at almost a whispering distance from the sacred sanctuaries in the two cities, the high-end opulent hotel rooms provide vantage view of the holy sites. The pilgrims seek divine blessings and send salams to the holy Prophet as they gaze at the sacred sites.
This is about the pilgrims who have used "lavish Haj packages" to perform Haj in comfort. The comforts on the pilgrimage come with a price tag. Many super rich among the Muslims opt to utilize the convenience at almost every step during the holy trip. The comforts are reflected in accommodation both at the hotels and in the tent city of Mina and the plains of Arafat, in the vehicles they use, and the food and beverages they are offered.
"The package is tailored to suit the demand and taste of the rich pilgrims who are ready to pay for these luxuries. This is a religious journey no doubt, but why should not the pilgrims travel and stay in comfort if they have enough money to pay for?," asks Yusuf Ahmed Kherada, a Mumbai-based leading Haj and Umrah tour organiser operating for 36 years.
Source: timesofindia.com
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Pakistan
Pak General's 'Why English?' Jab At Indian Army Backfires Into Meme Fest
May 09, 2026
A Pakistan military spokesperson has become a subject of jokes on social media after he asked why Indian military officers used English during a recent briefing linked to Operation Sindoor. Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry's remarks triggered sharp reactions not just from Indian users but also from people of Pakistan.
Speaking on the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, Chaudhry asked why Indian officers chose English while addressing the media. “Who asked you to speak in English? Is it because you want to tell the world your version of events?” he said during his remarks.
The Indian briefing focused on the military and strategic outcomes of Operation Sindoor, launched after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.
On X, many pointed out that English continues to be widely used within Pakistan's own military system. Among the strongest reactions came from Major Adil Farooq Raja (Retd), a former Pakistan Army officer who is now a journalist and a vocal critic of the country's military establishment.
First he roasted the entire propaganda circus by saying DG-ISPR speaks in Urdu to sell forged stories to Pakistani citizens, but the moment a foreign journalist asked a… pic.twitter.com/v2PEs20j8y
Source: www.ndtv.com
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Pakistan fines foreign shipping company after finding crew with expired documents
ARAB NEWS PAKISTAN
May 10, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said on Sunday that it had fined a foreign shipping company Rs500,000 [$1,793] after a Syrian crew member was found traveling on the vessel with an expired seaman’s book.
According to Marine Traffic, a web-based platform and mobile app that provides near real-time tracking of ship movements, MT Asana is an oil and chemical tanker sailing under the flag of Tanzania. The tanker was inspected by the FIA after it reached Karachi Port, the agency said in a statement.
A Syrian national aboard the ship was found traveling on an expired seaman’s book while his flag state documents were also missing, the FIA said.
“FIA’s strict inspection uncovers serious violation of international maritime laws,” the agency said. “During interrogation, crew member admits failure to renew the seaman’s book.”
A seaman’s book is an official document that certifies a person as a member of a vessel’s crew. It is issued by maritime authorities of different countries under their respective flags. Meanwhile, flag state documentation ensures that a vessel is legally registered and authorized to operate internationally.
Source: www.arabnews.com
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Pakistan thinks it’s playing Trump, the opposite may be true
By: Michael Rubin
May 10, 2026
Indians are furious at the deference with which President Donald Trump treats Pakistan. The U.S. President has systematically shredded a quarter century effort to build a U.S.-India partnership. Rather than hold Pakistan to account for its protection of Osama Bin Laden, its sponsorship of the Taliban and the humiliation its double-dealing delivered to the United States, Trump honours Field Marshal AsimMunir, an unapologetic terror apologist with both American and Indian blood on his hands.
Trump’s turn to Islamabad to mediate matters of war and peace places Pakistan on a pedestal. Whereas he criticized Pakistan’s “lies and deceit” during his first term, now he gushes about Pakistanis as “brilliant people.” After dumping Oman and Qatar as mediators of choice, Trump praised Pakistan as “terrific.”
Pakistani authorities likely believe they can leverage their role as mediator into strategic advantage. Perhaps they believe Trump will sell them military technology to erode India’s qualitative and quantitative military advantage, or perhaps Munir believes he can trick Trump into “mediating” on Kashmir to Pakistan’s advantage. Trump’s earlier reference to India and Pakistan’s thousand-year dispute over Kashmir confirms the U.S. President is no student of history. While Pakistani officials believe they can take advantage of the President’s ignorance, it appears Munir is as ignorant of history as the U.S. President. While Munir celebrates outmanoeuvring Trump, he forgets the unhappy history of U.S.-Pakistan ties.
Pakistanis have long complained that the United States is a fair-weather friend. American leaders are deferential to Islamabad when Washington needs Pakistani assistance, but the White House shows little loyalty to Pakistan. Indeed, the moment U.S. Presidents get what they want, they slam the door on Pakistan. True, the United States and Pakistan were Cold War allies but for Washington, Pakistan was the second choice. President Harry S. Truman wanted to ally with India. Shortly after independence, Truman invited Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Washington; he made no corollary offer to Pakistani Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan for almost a year after. Pakistan leaders demanded the U.S. treat India and Pakistan equally but, for realists in Washington, this was akin to a cockroach demanding to be treated like a tiger. India was more than four times Pakistan’s size in both area and population. It was also far more formidable militarily, having defeated Pakistan in the 1947-1948 war. Simply put, in the c
Source: sundayguardianlive.com
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Pakistan emerged as 'responsible' nation, 'guarantor' of global peace: PM Shehbaz Sharif
10 May 2026,
In a message issued by his office late Saturday night, marking the first anniversary of 'Marka-e-Haq', the name given by Islamabad to last year's four-day conflict with India, Shehbaz also praised the role of the armed forces during the hostilities.
Source: www.deccanherald.com
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Car bomb attack kills 12 at checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan
May 10, 2026
Militants detonated a car bomb at a checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan and opened fire on police, killing at least 12 and wounding five, officials said on Sunday.
"Last night in the FatehKhel area of Bannu, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police checkpoint, after which multiple militants entered the post," Bannu police official Muhammad Sajjad Khan told AFP.
He said that 12 officers were confirmed dead with one more missing, the latest attack in the border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during a wave of militancy that has strained ties between Islamabad and Kabul.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
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Pakistan Defence Minister faces global outrage, condemnation over Israel remarks
10/04/26
A fresh diplomatic row erupted after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif posted sharply critical remarks about Israel, drawing swift condemnation from Israeli authorities, US lawmakers and experts at a sensitive moment in ongoing ceasefire efforts.
Asif wrote on X that “Israel is evil and a curse for humanity,” alleging that “genocide is being committed in Lebanon” and that “innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon.” He added: “I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews burn in hell.”
The comments came less than 50 hours before high-stakes diplomatic talks in Islamabad, where Pakistan is hosting discussions between US and Iran linked to broader regional tensions.
Reacting sharply, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said: “Pakistan Defence Minister’s call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous. This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace.”
US Congressman Josh Gottheimer also criticised the remarks, calling them “vile rhetoric targeting Jews and Israel.” He said: “Hateful rhetoric like this is beyond unacceptable and unproductive at this fragile moment. This is not diplomacy and must be condemned.”
The controversy has cast a shadow over Pakistan’s role as a mediator. Islamabad has been positioning itself as a venue for talks involving the United States and Iran, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Source: ddnews.gov.in
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Mideast
UK man charged for threatening messages to Israeli embassy, Muslim orgs, MP office
By MICHAEL STARR
MAY 10, 2026
An Oxted man was charged on Friday for sending threatening messages to the Israeli embassy to the UK, a Muslim organization, and a member of parliament's office, according to the Crown Prosecution Service and the Surrey Police.
Thirty-year-old Nick Daly faces nine counts of offensive messages for allegedly sending eight anti-Muslim messages to a Muslim organization and one antisemitic message to the Israeli embassy, and a count of threatening death or harm for messages he allegedly sent to an MP's office. The messages were allegedly sent between January 27 and Thursday.
Upon search of Daly's residence, police said that they found a weapon and cannabis. He was consequently charged with one count of possession of an offensive weapon in a private place, and possession of a controlled drug.
Source: www.jpost.com
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Omani Mufti calls for unity against aggression on Gaza, Iran
May 10, 2026
Ahmad bin Hamad al-Khalili, the Grand Mufti of Oman, posted a message on the X on Saturday,"We strongly condemn the Zionist regime's cruel aggression against the land of Gaza and its people, and we express our sympathy to the victims of these incidents."
He continued: "All Muslims must stand united and together in the face of aggression in Gaza, Iran, or any other part of the world; because the Islamic Ummah is a single Ummah and must show this unity in solidarity, helping the rightness, and confronting falsehood."
Source: en.mehrnews.com
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Iran wants team members who served in the Revolutionary Guard to get visas for the World Cup
9 May 2026
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Iran's soccer federation said on Saturday the country "definitely" will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and insisted that tournament hosts - the United States, Canada and Mexico - consider Tehran's concerns around the team´s travel and how it will be treated.
"All players and technical staff, especially those who served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, should be granted visas without problems," Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran president Mehdi Taj said, according to Iranian media.
The team represents a country in a fragile ceasefire with the United States after the U.S. and Israel sparked a war with attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, and whose citizens are subject to a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration.
In the statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, Taj said Friday that Iran had presented conditions tied to participation - including guarantees over visas, security and treatment of Iranian players and officials - and added that the Islamic Republic would take part "without retreating from our beliefs, culture and convictions."
The remarks came after Canadian authorities last month denied entry to Taj ahead of a FIFA Congress, reportedly because of his past ties to Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, which both the U.S. and Canada have designated as a terrorist organization.
Source: www.dailymail.com
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Israel deports two detained over Gaza-bound flotilla
May 10 2026
Israel has deported two activists, Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Brazilian Thiago Avila, after arresting them aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters.
The activists were part of a second Global Sumud Flotilla launched from Spain on April 12 to try to break Israel's blockade of Gaza by delivering aid to the enclave.
After their investigation was completed, the two professional provocateurs, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Ávila, from the provocation flotilla, were deported today from Israel. Israel will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.
Source: www.northweststar.com.au
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South Asia
Pakistan Army Chief Says Islamabad Wants Afghanistan To End Support For Militants
By Fidel Rahmati
May 10, 2026
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal AsimMunir, on Sunday urged Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to stop supporting militant groups, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), amid rising regional violence and worsening security tensions.
Speaking during a ceremony marking what Pakistan calls the “Day of Battle of Truth,” Munir said Islamabad’s only demand from the Taliban administration was to prevent Afghanistan territory from being used by armed groups targeting Pakistan.
He accused India of supporting militant violence against Pakistan through what he described as “state-sponsored terrorism” and claimed attacks were being coordinated from Afghanistan soil.
“Pakistan has only one demand from Afghanistan: stop supporting militants acting on India’s direction and completely eliminate terrorist centers and safe havens on Afghanistan territory,” Munir said during his speech.
Source: www.khaama.com
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Aid Serve Needy Afghans, Not Politics
May 10, 2026
The recent statement by Arafat Jamal, UNHCR’s representative in Afghanistan, comes at a critical moment for the country. Concerns have been raised internationally about whether humanitarian assistance might be diverted to the Islamic Emirate officials. Jamal’s response was clear saying that UN aid is directed to the Afghan people, not to the governing authorities. This distinction matters, because the credibility of humanitarian work depends on neutrality and the assurance that assistance reaches those who need it most.
Afghanistan today faces one of the largest refugee return movements in the world, with millions coming back from Pakistan and Iran. These returnees arrive in a fragile economy, often without resources, and their reintegration poses both challenges and opportunities. As he noted, instability is not inevitable. If managed properly, the return of refugees can contribute to economic growth, peace, and coexistence. But if neglected, it risks fueling further hardship and regional insecurity.
The Islamic Emirate, which governs Afghanistan, assured that its role is not to exploit aid but to ensure the rights and dignity of citizens. Officials emphasize that their system is designed to protect Afghans, not to grab humanitarian resources. Assistance must remain people-centered, focused on shelter, food, healthcare, and education for ordinary families.
The international community should recognize that humanitarian aid is not a political bargaining chip. It is a lifeline and attempts to politicize assistance, by questioning whether it benefits the governing system, risk undermining the very people who depend on it. Afghan children, women, and men should not be caught in the crossfire of geopolitical suspicion.
Source: www.thekabultimes.com
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2 Martyred, 51 Injured in Herat Road Crash
May 10, 2026
HERAT: At least two people have been martyred and 51 others injured after a 404-type passenger vehicle overturned in Adraskan district of Herat province.
The incident occurred due to excessive speed and reckless driving by the driver, the provincial police office said in a statement on Saturday.
“Traffic personnel and ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene following the accident, and injured passengers were transferred to nearby health centers and hospitals for emergency treatment,” the statement said.
Source: www.thekabultimes.com
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Pakistan pitches ‘vast’ investment opportunities to Bangladesh amid warming ties
May 10, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs ShamaObaed Islam on Sunday that Islamabad has “vast opportunities” for investment in various sectors, as both countries seek closer cooperation amid warming ties.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have significantly improved ties after the latter’s former premier Sheikh Hasina was ousted via bloody protests in 2024. Once part of the same country, Bangladesh seceded from Pakistan following a bloody civil war in 1971, an event that long cast a shadow over bilateral ties.
Naqvi, who arrived in Bangladesh this week, met Islam in Dhaka where the two discussed bilateral ties, the regional situation, trade and investment cooperation. Pakistan’s mediation efforts in the US-Iran conflict were also discussed, the interior ministry said.
Source: www.arabnews.com
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Bangladesh’s deposed PM Hasina congratulates newly appointed West Bengal CM SuvenduAdhikari
10 May 2026
Dhaka: Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday congratulated SuvenduAdhikari as he assumed office as West Bengal’s Chief Minister after BJP’s landslide victory in the state. “I congratulate SuvenduAdhikari on my personal beh.
She said West Bengal’s role in genuine friendly relations between Bangladesh and India was unique and “I believe under his leadership this relationship will reach a new trajectory”.
“As a neighbour, we always wish for prosperity and peace in West Bengal,” said Hasina, whose Awami League was disbanded by Muhammad Yunus’ past interim regime, while the ban was endorsed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s incumbent Bangladesh Nation...
In another development, Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman, told reporters his party was observing the situation in West Bengal following the polls. “We will do whatever is needed as a neighbour … not just West Bengal alone, we are opposed to any injusti...
Source: www.deccanherald.com
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Police-people trust will make crime control easier: PM
10 May 2026
DHAKA, May 10, 2026 (BSS) – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today said that crime control will become easier if trust is built between the police and the people.
Urging police members to earn people’s trust and ensure that no innocent person becomes a victim of harassment, he said, “The police administration does not belong to any party; the police administration will be run according to statutory law. It is certainly your responsibility to ensure that no innocent person is subjected to harassment.”
If the police can become a symbol of trust and security for the people, that is the success of the police, the Premier said, adding that the success of the police means the success of the government as well.
Tarique Rahman, also the ruling BNP chairman, made the remarks at the police ‘Welfare Parade’ held at the Rajarbagh Police Auditorium on the occasion of Police Week 2026.
Noting that the duty of the police is to “suppress the wicked and nurture the virtuous,” he said, “Let the relationship between the police and the people be based on trust and mutual dependence. In any danger or crisis, let people consider the police station their reliable shelter.”
Reminding that the people are the owners of the state, the Prime Minister said, “If the people are the owners, then when these owners go to the police station in times of danger, they should be able to feel, at least to some extent, the ownership of the state through your [police] behavior—ensuring that is part of your responsibility.
Source: www.bssnews.net
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Southeast Asia
Selangor records 1,675 new Muslim converts in 2025, credits NGOs and mosques for rise
09 May 2026
SHAH ALAM, May 9 — A total of 1,675 individuals embraced Islam in Selangor in 2025, reflecting the effectiveness of the state’s systematic conversion management framework, said Mais chairman DatukSalehuddinSaidin.
He said 772 individuals, or 82.1 per cent of the total, registered through the Conversion Management Centres (PPP), comprising mosque institutions and Islamic non-governmental organisations (PIBK), while the remainder registered through the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) headquarters and district Islamic religious offices (Paid).
“In recognition of their role in facilitating and streamlining the registration process in accordance with established procedures, PPP Mais will receive RM94,000 as a token of appreciation,” he said at the PPP 2026 Appreciation and Ukhwah Ceremony held at the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS) building here today.
The ceremony also included the presentation of appreciation certificates to recipients for their commitment in strengthening conversion management efforts in the state.
According to Salehuddin, the contributions, funded through zakat allocations, were distributed to 41 PPP centres, with each receiving between RM100 and RM24,400 based on the number of registrations handled throughout the year.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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AADK detects over 1,000 drug-positive cases at Malaysia border entry points since 2024
10 May 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — The National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) recorded 1,084 positive drug cases from inspections at the country’s border entry points for the period 2024 to March 31 this year.
AADK director-general DatukRuslinJusoh said the number was obtained from screening of 3,625 Malaysians returning from neighbouring countries, especially during the festive season and school holidays.
He said in 2024, a total of 494 individuals were arrested after testing positive for drugs involving 444 men and 50 women with methamphetamine recording the highest number of cases at 148 cases, followed by ketamine (109 cases), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabis (96 cases), ‘4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine’ (MDMA) (80 cases), benzo (62 cases), ketum (23 cases) and opiates (four cases).
“Last year, a total of 415 people were arrested, involving 392 men and 23 women, with the highest drug recorded being methamphetamine in 140 cases, followed by ketamine (108 cases), THC (70 cases), benzo (59 cases), MDMA (31 cases), opiates (five cases) and ketum in two cases.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Kommuniti Madani must be govt's eyes and ears at grassroots level, says Fahmi
10 May 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — KommunitiMadani must play an active role as the “eyes, ears, tongue, feet and hands” of the government in ensuring that every initiative and assistance reaches the targeted groups directly at the grassroots level, said Communications Minister DatukFahmiFadzil.
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He said appointed KommunitiMadani members carry a huge responsibility to be on the ground to listen to the people’s grievances and explain state and federal government policies in the simplest manner possible.
He noted that the ministry would make intensive training series mandatory through collaboration with the InstitutPenyiarandanPeneranganTun Abdul Razak (IPPTAR) to equip KommunitiMadani members with skills in producing graphics and techniques to respond boldly to viral issues without fear or hesitation.
“One of the first activities we are coordinating is going down to markets and stalls. I want you to see for yourselves issues such as the availability of subsidised cooking oil packets or diesel stock at petrol stations.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Malaysia tightens border health checks as hantavirus alert raised, says Dzulkefly
10 May 2026
CYBERJAYA, May 10 — Malaysia is on full alert to face the threat of hantavirus infection, although no cases involving Malaysians have been recorded thus far.
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Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the approach is crucial as public health challenges are now global in nature, and no country is truly safe without continuous precautionary measures.
“We do not want to be an alarmist, but at the same time, we do not want the people to be complacent by saying that this is happening elsewhere (abroad),” he told reporters after attending the closing ceremony of the National Tobacco Control Conference and Lung Health Summit 2026 here today.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Ayob Khan reiterates no police links to Ketereh murder suspect’s family, warns against misinformation
By Malay Mail
10 May 2026
GEORGE TOWN, May 10 — Deputy Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan MydinPitchay has reiterated that claims linking the father of a suspect in the Ketereh college student murder case to the police are false.
“I want to make it clear that no suspect has any connection with the police or their families. The claim is not true,” he told the daily here today.
Ayob Khan stressed that the investigation is being conducted strictly in line with procedure and is not influenced by anyone’s background or status.
He also urged the public and media to verify facts before sharing or commenting on sensitive cases, warning that misinformation could spark unnecessary tension.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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PM Anwar confirms RON95 aid review, stresses income brackets must not be wrongly affected
By Syed JaymalZahiid
10 May 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — The government is currently reviewing RON95 assistance for upper income earners, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today, amid growing calls for petrol subsidies to be reserved for the lower- and middle-income groups.
“The study had been undertaken by the National Economic Action Council led by Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican’s team but it’s not decided if it would be T20 or 15,” Anwar told reporters briefly after attending a government programme at Universiti Malaya here.
“But we want to make sure the right income brackets aren’t affected — for example, the upper- middle-income group. It must also be easily implemented,” he added.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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AbangJohari says Sarawak to acquire more federal assets to boost economy and create high‑tech jobs
10 May 2026
KUCHING, May 10 — Sarawak plans to take over more strategic entities and assets of the federal government to strengthen the state’s economy in line with the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), said Sarawak Premier Tan Sri AbangJohariTunOpeng.
He said the move was important in expanding the state’s economic dominance, thus creating more highly skilled job opportunities for Sarawakians, especially in the technology and new industry sectors.
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Source: www.malaymail.com
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Arab world
Eid Al Adha in UAE explained: Sacrifice rules, zakat, slaughterhouses and traditions
May 10, 2026
Dubai: As Eid Al Adha is fast approaching, millions of Muslims across the UAE are preparing for one of the most significant occasions in the Islamic calendar, a holiday marked by faith, charity, family ties and community traditions.
Expected to fall on May 27 this year astronomically and observed on the 10th day of DhulHijjah, Eid Al Adha coincides with the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, where millions of Muslims gather to perform one of Islam’s five pillars.
Across the UAE, preparations for the four-day celebration are already under way, from shopping for clothes and sweets to arranging sacrificial animals, planning family gatherings and making charitable donations.
In the UAE, Eid Al Adha is not only a religious occasion but also a social and cultural moment that brings together citizens, residents and visitors from every background.
This year, the atmosphere carries additional emotional significance as celebrations coincide with the UAE’s “Year of Community”, reinforcing values of unity, coexistence and social solidarity.
The story behind Eid Al Adha dates back to the Prophet Ibrahim, who was willing to sacrifice his son Ismail in obedience to God’s command before God replaced the sacrifice with a ram.
In the days leading up to Eid, UAE residents typically begin preparations early. Markets become busier than usual as families purchase traditional clothing, gifts, perfumes and sweets. Men often buy new kanduras, while women shop for abayas, jewellery and henna appointments.
Homes are also prepared for guests. Emirati and Arab households often stock up on Arabic coffee, dates, chocolates and traditional desserts, while kitchens prepare for elaborate lunches that usually feature rice dishes and freshly cooked meat. Popular Emirati dishes such as machboos, harees and thareed become staples of the Eid table.
On the morning of Eid, worshippers wake before sunrise to prepare for Eid prayers, one of the most visible and emotional moments of the holiday.
Large mosques and open-air prayer grounds across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates fill with worshippers dressed in white kanduras and colourful traditional clothing.
Source: gulfnews.com
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King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language Signs MoU with the Muslim World League to Cooperate in Serving Arabic Language
May 10, 2026
King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language signed a memorandum of understanding with the Muslim World League in Riyadh today, in a move that highlights the KSGAAL's commitment to expanding its international partnerships and strengthening institutional integration in the service of the Arabic language, thereby supporting its presence in scientific, educational and technical contexts at both regional and international levels.
The KSGAAL was represented at the signing by Deputy Secretary General Dr. Ibrahim bin Muhammad Abanmi, whilst the MWL was represented by Assistant Secretary General for Institutional Communication Abdulwahab bin Muhammad Al-Shahri.
His Excellency the Secretary General of the MWL and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, His Eminence Sheikh Dr Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, expressed the MWL's pride in its partnership with the KSGAAL, praising the KSGAAL's commendable efforts and significant role in serving the Arabic language worldwide through effective programmes and initiatives with a tangible impact, which have cemented the authentic linguistic identity and strengthened its international presence at various levels.
For his part, the Secretary General of the KSGAAL, Dr Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, explained that the linguistic efforts undertaken by the KSGAAL, including building strategic partnerships with international organisations and promoting integrated work in the service of the Arabic language, are carried out with the continuous support and guidance of His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture and Chairman of the KSGAAL's Board of Trustees, in line with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030. He noted that cooperation with the MWL represents an opportunity to expand the scope of joint work and develop impactful linguistic initiatives that contribute to supporting Arabic language education and facilitating its use in academic and technical contexts.
Source: www.alriyadhdaily.com
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On Behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Attends Inauguration of Costa Rica’s President
May 10, 2026
On behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Cabinet Member, and Climate Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir attended the inauguration ceremony of President of the Republic of Costa Rica Laura Fernández Delgado, held in the capital San José.
The minister conveyed the congratulations and greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince to the president, along with their wishes for continued growth, progress, and prosperity for the government and people of Costa Rica.
Source: www.alriyadhdaily.com
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Eid Al Adha 2026 explained: Moon sighting, Arafat Day and UAE holiday
May 10, 2026
Dubai: If you have been paying attention to the calendar lately, you have probably realised that something special is almost upon us. Eid Al Adha, the second and holiest festival in Islam, is now just about two weeks away, and a quiet but unmistakable energy is beginning to build across the UAE.
For Muslim residents, whether Emirati citizens or expatriates from dozens of different countries, this period is one of deep spiritual reflection, family connection, and preparations for one of the most cherished celebrations of the year.
But before the feasts, the new clothes, and the gatherings begin, there is an important question that everyone wants answered with certainty: when exactly does Eid Al Adha officially begin?
Eid Al Adha falls on the 10th day of DhulHijjah, the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and the official date can only be confirmed by the UAE Council for Fatwa after the physical sighting of the moon.
That said, astronomical calculations give us a very clear and reliable forecast. According to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society and member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, the new moon for the month of DhulHijjah will be born on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at exactly 12:01 AM after midnight, UAE time.
On the evening of that same Sunday, the crescent moon will set approximately 58 minutes after the sun, and it will be about 10 degrees above the horizon at the moment of sunset, with an age of nearly 19 hours.
These are highly favorable conditions for sighting the moon, so it is very likely that the first day of DhulHijjah will be confirmed as Monday, May 18.
And Eid Al Adha itself, the 10th of DhulHijjah, will begin at sunrise on Wednesday, May 27. This means that for everyone in the UAE, the first day of Eid will be Wednesday, May 27, 2026, corresponding to the Islamic date of 10 DhulHijjah 1447 AH.
Source: gulfnews.com
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QU concludes individual college graduation ceremonies
10/05/2026
Qatar University (QU) organised a series of graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2026, which included the College of Engineering, College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, College of Law, College of Education, College of Business and Economics, and the College of Arts and Sciences.
The 49th batch of female students was honoured at the QU Sports and Events Complex in six separate ceremonies. This year’s 49th cohort includes 3,122 female graduates from various academic disciplines at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.
During the graduation ceremony for the College of Engineering, 383 graduates were honored in the presence of their peers and families. Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Society of Engineers, EngAmna Mohammed Al Naama, was present as the guest of honor. In her speech, EngAmna Al Naama, who is also a graduate of QU’s College of Engineering, described graduation as the beginning of a journey of impact and responsibility, encouraging graduates to help shape Qatar’s future through engineering and contribute to the country’s development and sustainability goals.
In the presence of the ceremony’s guest of honour, HE Saeed bin Abdullah bin Saeed Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice, QU’s College of Sharia and Islamic Studies celebrated the graduation of 105 female students alongside 172 female graduates from the College of Law. In his address to the graduates, Al Suwaidi congratulated the graduates of the Colleges of Law and Sharia and Islamic Studies, emphasizing that law and sharia are the two pillars of justice, and that graduates now carry the responsibility of upholding this principle in their future careers.
In the presence of MahaZayedQaqaaAlruwaili, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), QU’s College of Education celebrated the graduation of 563 female graduates. In her address to the graduates, she emphasized that education is a mission centered on shaping minds, building values, and creating lasting impact in society. She also highlighted the strategic partnership between MoEHE and the College of Education in preparing qualified educators and advancing the quality of education in Qatar.
QU’s College of Business and Economics celebrated the graduation of 652 female graduates in the presence of the guest of honor, Chairman of Qatar Tourism, Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, who is also a graduate of the College of Business and Economics. In his speech, he encouraged graduates to contribute to Qatar’s economic growth and national development. He also highlighted the growing role of Qatari women in leadership and professional fields.
Source: www.qatar-tribune.com
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A rare 60-page Quran documenting Muslims’ interest in the Quran is on display at the Quran Museum in Mecca
By MedhatElsheikh
10/05/2026
Makkah, Saudi Arabia – The Holy Quran Museum in Makkah houses one of the rarest Qur’anic manuscripts, attracting the attention of visitors and researchers of Qur’anic history: a rare Qur’an consisting of only 60 pages. This manuscript stands as a unique testament to the early stages of Muslims’ care for the Holy Qur’an, including its preservation, copying, and documentation throughout the ages.
This manuscript is among the Qur’anic manuscripts housed in the museum. It accurately reflects the styles of ancient Arabic calligraphy and the methods of writing employed by calligraphers in different eras. Despite its small size, it preserves the sanctity of the Qur’anic text and its exceptional accuracy in copying.
The museum’s curators point out that this rare copy is not merely a historical document, but also holds profound cultural and spiritual significance. It reflects the immense effort Muslims have exerted throughout history to preserve the Holy Quran. It also demonstrates the meticulous transmission of its teachings from generation to generation.
Source: www.voiceofemirates.com
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Europe
Man in court for 'hateful messages' to Muslim group
Jacob Panons
10-05-2026
A man has appeared in court accused of sending hateful messages to a Muslim organisation and the Israeli embassy, as well as death threats to an MP's office.
Nick Daly, 30, of Oxted in Surrey, is charged with nine counts of sending communication conveying an indecent or offensive message and one count of sending communication threatening death or serious harm, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Eight of the charges relate to allegedly sending Islamophobic communications to a Muslim organisation and one count is in connection with him allegedly sending antisemitic messages to the Israeli embassy, the CPS said.
Source: www.bbc.com
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Hartlepool to host memorial shield football tournament at former school of journalist and humanitarian Syed Taalay Ahmed
By Mark Payne
10th May 2026
The Syed Taalay Ahmed Memorial Shield Tournament 2026 will take place at High Tunstall College of Science on Saturday, May 16.
Taalay, 31, a Hartlepool-born journalist, humanitarian, and member of the town’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, tragically lost his life in Ghana in 2021.
The married father-of-two, who attended High Tunstall College of Science, was killed in an armed ambush while making a documentary on the work of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Staged by Muslim youth organisation MKA UK, the annual football tournament honours his life and legacy and raises money for charity.
Source: www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk
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Beyond the Havan – The Fiji I refuse to lose
10-05-2026
The author says that during Diwali, plates of barfi were passed over fences to hands of every skin tone. In this picture Divisha Prasad (left), Patricia Niumataiwalu and Suneha Prasad admire the lights during Diwali celebrations. Picture: FILE
THE smell of burning ghee and the earthy scent of hawan-samagri are etched into my deepest memory. Growing up in Lautoka, I attended an Arya Samaj school. Built on Vedic teachings, its doors were nonetheless thrown wide open. Every Tuesday and Friday, life paused for an early morning havan. Sitting cross-legged, the morning sun illuminated the holy fire.
Looking around, you saw the beating heart of Fiji. My iTaukei, Muslim, and Hindu classmates all participated. We chanted Sanskrit mantras in unison and offered ghee into the flames. Nobody felt compromised. To the iTaukei boy beside me, or the Muslim girl across from me, the fire wasn’t an erasure of identity; it was a shared moment of grace and community.
In the afternoons, while waiting for my brother at Tilak High School, my friends and I would visit a kind neighbourhood lady. We sat on her floor listening to Bible stories — David and Goliath, loaves and fishes — and sang Christian songs. I fed a Hindu holy fire in the morning and listened to Christian parables in the afternoon alongside Hindu and Muslim friends. My young mind never felt torn. I was raised by a village that understood God has many names, and grace isn’t confined to a single building.
Source: www.fijitimes.com.fj
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Race row as Malcolm Offord answers ‘ask Sarwar’ when quizzed on MSP’s sharia law claims
By HANNAH RODGER
9 May 2026
Reform’s Scottish leader is embroiled in a racism row less than 24 hours after being elected.
Millionaire Lord Malcolm Offord said Scottish Labour leader AnasSarwar should be asked about ‘sharia law’ during an event to celebrate Reform’s electoral success yesterday.
The peer was quizzed over Reform MSP Senga Beresford, who previously endorsed calls for Muslims to be deported, and was asked whether her views may be described as extremist.
Asked if there was ‘any suggestion that sharia law is coming to Scotland’, Lord Offord replied: ‘Well, that’s a question you need to ask AnasSarwar because that was never clarified.’
Scottish Labour leader Mr Sarwar, who is Muslim, has previously been a victim of racist abuse, including in 2018 when an online troll was convicted of sending him menacing social media messages, including claims he was trying to ‘target Scots’ with a ‘watered down version of sharia law’.
A Scottish Labour source said: ‘The election of Senga Beresford represents a fundamental low ebb for Scottish politics and requires a moment of reflection. It is clear Malcolm Offord is incapable of that type of reflection. This is racism and ignorance, filtered through conspiracy, and for some reason he is defending it.’
Mr Sarwar had a furious exchange with Lord Offord during a televised debate ahead of polling day, when he asked the peer where he thought his children should go if members of Reform felt Muslims should be deported.
Source: www.dailymail.com
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Putin claims war with Ukraine could be coming to an end
By Rory Elliott Armstrong
10/05/2026
Putin declared the war in Ukraine was "heading to an end" on Saturday, even though the first day of a US-brokered ceasefire was marred by mutual accusations of violations and a scaled-down Victory Day parade.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said the war in Ukraine was winding down, slamming Western support for Kyiv, as the first day of a US-brokered ceasefire was marked by mutual accusations of violations.
Putin spoke after telling soldiers at the scaled-down parade in Moscow that they were fighting an "aggressive force" in Ukraine, backed by all of NATO and describing his war goals as "just".
The Russian leader has made the memory of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II a central narrative of his 25-year rule and repeatedly invoked it to justify his Ukraine offensive.
Russian authorities typically mark the Victory Day parade with pomp and grandeur. But a spate of Ukrainian long-range attacks in recent weeks prompted the Kremlin to ramp up security measures and downsize this year's celebrations.
Source: www.euronews.com
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Russian Forces Strike Kharkiv Region with Molniya Kamikaze Drones Despite Declared Ceasefire
Roman Pryhodko
May 10, 2026
Despite a declared ceasefire, Russian forces attacked the Kharkiv region with Molniya kamikaze drones.
One drone struck the technical floor of a nine-story residential building in the Industrial District of Kharkiv, injuring five people, including children.
According to the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, OlehSyniehubov, on May 8 the Russian military also shelled 17 settlements across the Kharkiv region.
The attacks were carried out using two Geran-2 drones, three Lancet drones, seven Molniya drones, four FPV drones, and 16 other unmanned aerial vehicles of various types.
Source: militarnyi.com
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North America
CAIR-CO Condemns Racist ‘N-Word’ Photo Shared by High School Students
May 9, 2026
The Colorado chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CO), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the circulation of a racist photo reportedly shared by students at Harrison High School in Colorado Springs depicting a racial slur using balloons.
According to media reports, the students involved rearranged balloons from a graduation-related display to spell out the “N-word” and later attempted to dismiss the incident as a joke. School officials have reportedly launched an investigation and imposed disciplinary measures.
“This incident is deeply disturbing and painful for students, families, and the broader community. Racist slurs are not harmless jokes. They are rooted in a long history of hatred, violence, and dehumanization. Every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued at school. Incidents like this should serve as an opportunity for schools and communities to strengthen efforts promoting inclusion, empathy, and mutual respect among students of all backgrounds.”
She said CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging systemic anti-Black racism, antisemitism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
Source: www.cair.com
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Fragile Iran ceasefire appears to hold as Iran warns the U.S. against attacks on its oil tankers and other ships
May 9, 2026
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy on Saturday warned that any attack on Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels would be met with a "heavy assault" on one of the U.S. bases in the region and enemy ships, even as a tenuous ceasefire appeared to be holding.
Iranian state TV reported the warning a day after the United States struck two Iranian oil tankers, casting doubt on the month-old ceasefire that the U.S. has insisted is still in effect. The U.S. military said the tankers were trying to breach its blockade of Iran's ports.
Meanwhile Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy's regional headquarters, said it arrested dozens of people it alleged had links to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Washington awaits Iran's response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and roll back Tehran's disputed nuclear program. And Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow's proposal to take enriched uranium from Iran to help negotiate a settlement remains on the table.
Bahrain said it had arrested 41 people it said are part of a group affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard. The interior ministry said investigations confirmed they were in contact with the Guard and collected funds "with the aim of sending them to Iran" to support its "terrorist operations."
The small Persian Gulf island is led by a Sunni Muslim monarchy but, like Iran, has a majority Shiite population. Rights groups have said the kingdom has used the war between Iran and the U.S., which bases its Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as an excuse to crack down on dissent.
Iran issued a warning to Bahrain: "Siding with the U.S.-backed resolution will bring severe consequences. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital lifeline; do not risk closing it on yourselves FOREVER," EbrahimAzizi, head of the national security commission of Iran's parliament, said on social media.
Source: www.pbs.org
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Suspected boat explosion injures 11 in Miami
Harry Sekulich
10-05-2026
US authorities are investigating the cause of an explosion on board a boat that injured 11 people in Miami, southern Florida.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Juan Arias told reporters that emergency crews responded to reports of a "possible boat explosion" at Haulover Sandbar, a popular tourist location.
"I just saw a lot of them with burns all over them, and I said that it's a hot fire," Lee added. "It is quick, but it's high octane gasoline, and so a lot of them got burnt and it was an explosion."
Source: www.bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7076k4e31do
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Africa
Reimaging the Zionist-an African Perspective
May 9, 2026
The footage wouldn’t just fade out. It keeps rerunning on my mind’s screen ad infinitum. A large sized man with WWE Superstar physique knocks down a frail old nun wearing a habit violently and kicks her repeatedly while she lies unconscious on the concrete pavement. In broad daylight-somewhere in the holy land-an old nun is beaten up for being, guess what? A Christian! He doesn’t know her. In his mind she represents Christendom and he was beating the living light out of all us Christians. When did this happen the last time? Two thousand years ago! The first time I saw the footage, a passage from an infamous book written 90 years ago (recounting everyday life of the Vienna ghetto) sprang up in my head…so this is who a Zionist is and this is what he looks like and this is what he does?
They have come full circle back to us. Given the chance they wouldn’t think twice about nuking us. That is what their social media mouth pieces are actually saying. ‘Under normal circumstances we won’t touch the Muslims until we take out the last idol worshiping Christian. That is why we spit at Churches and Christian shrines but wouldn’t mind going into a Mosque.’ It all makes sense now why they are disfiguring statutes of the Christ and the Virgin Mary.
I am an Ethiopian and I share a degree of mystic affinity with the Biblical Israel as good as any one of my compatriots-at least as well as the Christian half of it. What I didn’t and never do is rooting for the State of Israel in its criminal endeavor to enslave the people of Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. I hate joining the ranks of Kanye West and Tucker Carlson but in all honesty the State of Israel is a pariah state worse than the Islamic Republic or North Korea. The only difference is it is entitled to break any resolution of the UN at will and with total impunity.
It is such a habitual outlaw that there are countless UNGA, UNHRC, and UNSC Resolutions mocked and laughed at by the State of Israel. The sense of entitlement is incredible. I am beginning to understand that the eternal curse of the Jew is its patent and latent belief that the Hebrew race is the chosen one. Even great authors of Jewish extraction like Boris Pasternak had written about it decades before the State of Israel had come into being. They are the only Theocracy in the World. Yes, it remains a Theocracy when the façade of Western democracy is peeled off. The law of Return (Aliyah) bestows citizenship on a Jew from Galicia who for all purposes and intent is Polish and grants him a settlement by evicting a Palestinian family. Yeah, yeah I know there are Arab and Christian Israelis but they had to sell their souls to become one. The only true law of Israeli citizenship is the Aliyah and everybody slightly interested in the Middle East knows it. In contrast, though there might be some kind of religious b
Source: borkena.com
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https://borkena.com/2026/05/09/reimaging-the-zionist-an-african-perspective/
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Muslim group corroborates Fani-Kayode on reassignment to S/Africa
May 10, 2026
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has debunked the narrative that Germany rejected Chief Femi Fani-Kayode as ambassador.
Executive Director of the organization, Professor IshaqAkintola, insisted that it was Fani-Kayode who requested for reassignment. MURIC also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for graciously hearkening to the request made by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
Akintola, who issued a press statement at the weekend said: ”President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed some Nigerians as ambassadors to various countries in Europe, America, Canada, etc about two months ago after Senate confirmation in December 2025.
ýý”However, latest report reaching us indicates that one of the newly appointed ambassadors and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode who was assigned to Germany ab initio, has been redeployed to South Africa (https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/07/fani-kayode-confirms-redeployment-to-south-africa/).
Source: www.vanguardngr.com
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APC Screening Committee clears Hamzat for Lagos guber primary
10 May 2026
The Lagos State Deputy Governor and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Dr.KadriObafemiHamzat, has received a clean bill of approval by the APC Governorship Screening Committee to participate in the party’s forthcoming primary election for the 2027 governorship poll in Lagos.
Speaking after the screening process held in Abuja yesterday, Dr Hamzat, who is the consensus candidate of APC in Lagos, stated that the committee carefully reviewed all documents submitted and sought clarifications in areas relating to his public service record and professional experience.
Dr.Hamzat, who expressed satisfaction with the screening exercise, described the process as thorough, transparent, and in line with the democratic ideals of the party.
“The screening was designed to verify the credentials, records, and experiences submitted by aspirants seeking to fly the APC flag. The essence of the screening is to ensure that everything submitted is accurate and verifiable. We submitted all required documents, and the committee asked questions based on the information provided. It is basically to confirm that what you wrote is truly reflective of your experience and service,” he said.
Source: thesun.ng
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https://thesun.ng/apc-screening-committee-clears-hamzat-for-lagos-guber-primary/
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Severe weather causes widespread damage across South Africa's Garden Route
2026-05-10
Severe flooding, landslides, and storm damage have battered parts of South Africa's Garden Route, leaving communities isolated, roads closed, and critical infrastructure heavily damaged, local authorities said.
CAPE TOWN, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Severe flooding, landslides, and storm damage have battered parts of South Africa's Garden Route, leaving communities isolated, roads closed, and critical infrastructure heavily damaged, local authorities said.
"These floods are the worst that the Garden Route has experienced in the past 30 years. It has left widespread devastation across the eastern parts of the region, leaving several communities isolated and infrastructure heavily impacted with at least 45 roads closed," Gerhard Otto, head of disaster management at the municipality, said in the statement.
At least one person, a social worker from Knysna, died after a tree fell on her car amid severe weather conditions, according to local media reports.
Source: english.news.cn
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https://english.news.cn/20260510/bd563f17fc934a8496d8898b49003a73/c.html
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South Africa, Beloved South Africa with Xenophobic Attitudes
By KesterKennKlomegah
May 10, 2026
South Africa incredibly disgraced the entire continent of Africa. The current development by South Africans with fellow Africans distinctly indicated the level of xenophobic attitudes and racial discrimination existing in the country. South Africa, as a staunch member of the regional South African Development Community (SADC), the continental African Union (AU), and the informal association (BRICS), absolutely dampened, on the roadside, the primary concept of multipolarity.
The awful and terrible scenes of xenophobic and racial attitudes, beyond ordinary descriptions, filled social media platforms and the traditional media channels in the daily news reports in early May 2026.
Following the latest developments, the Government of Ghana has officially petitioned the African Union (AU) over renewed concerns regarding xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa, urging urgent continental intervention to address the situation.
The petition is expected to be considered at the upcoming Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the AU, scheduled to take place from June 24 to 27, 2026, in El Alamein, Egypt.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the issue has become a matter of serious concern requiring immediate attention from African leaders and institutions.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel OkudzetoAblakwa, who signed the official communication to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, expressed Ghana’s deep concern over repeated incidents of violence and discrimination targeting Africans living in South Africa.
The petition highlighted that these attacks have reportedly led to loss of lives, destruction of property, and growing insecurity among foreign nationals, including Ghanaians residing in the country. Ghana’s government stressed that the persistence of xenophobic violence undermines the spirit of African unity and cooperation that the African Union seeks to promote.
Source: moderndiplomacy.eu
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https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2026/05/10/south-africa-beloved-south-africa-with-xenophobic-attitudes/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-scst-numbers-decreasing-and-indian-prison-system-changing/d/139973