NSA Ajit Doval Urges Respect For Multiple Indian Identities
New Age Islam News Bureau
19 April 2026
NSA Ajit Doval in a significant interaction with Naeema Khatoon, Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and other distinguished members of the Muslim community
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• NSA Ajit Doval urges respect for multiple Indian identities
• A War in the Persian Gulf Is Plunging Pakistan Into Darkness
• Israel’s Hidden Role in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
• Dialogue: Path to Lasting Peace Between Afghanistan, Pakistan
• Police: More than 9,000 displaced after fire destroys 1,000 homes in Sandakan
• Qatar, 15 Arab, Islamic countries condemn Israel's appointment of a diplomatic envoy to so-called "Somaliland"
• The Pope’s record on Islam and the persecution of Christians is beyond reproach
• 'Whether people like Israel or not ... ': Trump hails 'great ally' of US for 'knowing how to win'
• Stop ‘victimising’ Saraki, prioritise regional unity — Islamic cleric tells Kwara governor
India
• ‘Diverting resources for infiltrators’: Remove Mamata as Bengal CM, else Bangladeshi Muslims will snatch state from us, says HimantaBiswa
• Hidden heritage: 18th-century Kakrabad mosque falls into ruin
• Trinamool or Cong-CPM? Minority muddle in Malda, Murshidabad before Bengal polls
• Man heckles Muslim couple on Noida road, faces backlash; held
• Bihar CM SamratChoudhary refuses to wear skull cap offered by Muslim worker
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Pakistan
• Pakistan tightens security as US-Iran talks loom amid diplomatic push
• As Trump Cosies Up To Pak's AsimMunir, US Report's "Red Flag" Caution
• J&K L-G Sinha dedicates memorial to officer Thapa killed in Pakistan shelling during 2025 conflict
• US choice of mediators like Pakistan snatches defeat from jaws of victory
• When Pakistan plays mediator, there’s more than peace on table
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Mideast
• Iranian Army renewed allegiance to ideals of Revolution and martyrs
• Iran Air Defense Commander: 170 Enemy drones shot down in Ramadan War
• Pezeshkian: Iran’s Army an institution emerging from people; symbol of national dignity, power, independence
• Araghchi: We are firmly determined to increase engagement with Iran’s armed forces
• Army commanders renew allegiance with late Imam Khomeini (RA)
• Arab, Muslim states condemn Israel's decision to send envoy to Somaliland
• Pezeshkian: Iran's army, an institution rooted in People, a Symbol of national pride, power, and independence
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South Asia
• Sacked staff of six Islamic banks rally in Motijheel, demand reinstatement
• Former Australian soldier speaks out against allegations of Afghan war crimes
• From Investment to Stability: China’s Recalibration in Afghanistan
• Afghanistan exports carpets, rugs worth 18 mln USD in 1 year
• Ex-union minister Dinesh Trivedi to be India's next ambassador to Bangladesh as nations reset ties
• Bangladesh raises fuel prices as conflict in West Asia drives up costs
• Bangladesh’s ‘foreign policy bankruptcy’ laid bare amid global crisis: Report
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Southeast Asia
• MACC urges tighter safeguards to curb smuggling and corruption in high-risk regions
• Sarawak rejects ‘golden goose’ accusation, says gas push is about fairness
• Cops investigate social media posts linking Selangor religious councils to corruption and ‘royal immunity’ claims
• Zahid: New ‘green rubber fuel’ could ease rising energy costs
• Zambry: UM report admits ‘sensitive’ elements in theatre row, corrective steps underway
• DAP must reassess direction to stay relevant, says Anthony Loke
• Zahid: 6,252 former members apply to rejoin Umno in sign of resurgence
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Arab world
• Arab, Islamic states condemn Israel’s Somaliland envoy move
• Worshipper who mistook home for a mosque slapped by owner
• Lower Section of Kaaba’sKiswa Raised in Preparation for Hajj 1447 AH
• Saudi Arabia: All visit visas barred from Hajj access
• Ministers Council endorses Revolution Leader decisions , Jihad & Resistance Axis victories
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Europe
• The End of Wilayat al-Faqih, from the Hidden Imam to the Absent Leader
• 'We were burgled and had £20k worth of gold jewellery stolen'
• Ukrainian police fatally shoot gunman who killed at least 6 and took hostages in a supermarket
• Six Killed In Daylight Shooting Incident In Kyiv, Ukrainian Officials Say
• Ukraine Achieves World First by Downing Shahed Drone from Naval Platform
• One Dead in Kherson Drone Strike and Three Wounded in Zaporizhzhia Bombing
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North America
• With 60 Kirk-themed bills, 20+ US states seek to promote his ideology
• What is Joe Rogan doing in the White House? Trump invites podcaster and calls him 'liberal'
• 'JD Vance’s brown kids are less American': Michigan Democrat attacks US VP, makes crude joke about Usha Vance
• What are UFO files? Trump orders full disclosure on extraterrestrial life 'very soon'
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Africa
• The Last Imam of Zamfara
• 2027: A Muslim/Christian presidential ticket for APC will fly – Hon Idimogu
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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NSA Ajit Doval urges respect for multiple Indian identities
Vidushi Gaur
18-04-2026
NSA Ajit Doval in a significant interaction with Naeema Khatoon, Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and other distinguished members of the Muslim community
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In a significant interaction with distinguished members of the Muslim community, AjitDoval highlighted that a large number of Muslim youths have been recruited into the Army and paramilitary forces over the past twelve years.
He noted that while the community has every right to critique government actions, it should not doubt the government’s intent. “Recruitment in the armed forces demonstrates that there is no bias or discrimination against Muslims in India,” he said.
He added that while not all candidates may succeed in getting government jobs, this could be due to multiple factors, including economic backwardness.
https://www.awazthevoice.in/upload/news/1776510880WhatsApp_Image_2026-04-18_at_4.37.41_PM_(1).jpegNSA AjitDoval in a significant interaction with distinguished members of the Muslim community
Doval emphasized the importance of embracing multiple identities rather than reducing oneself to a singular religious identity. “Muslims should not subsume their diverse identities into a singular religious identity and consider it supreme,” he said.
Addressing a delegation comprising educationists, social workers, and industrialists in New Delhi, he reiterated that Indian Muslims, like all citizens, possess layered and multifaceted identities.
According to him, confusion arises when individuals become overly conscious of a separate identity, which can sometimes lead to an unfounded sense of victimhood. He affirmed that Muslims are fully entitled to their religious identity and freedom of worship.
Using a metaphor, Doval remarked, “The country is like a large ship, and we are all sailors. We sail, or we sink together.” He stressed that all Indians—past, present, and future—are part of the same national continuum.
He further called for sustained dialogue among communities, especially in times of mistrust. “Engagement must continue with patience, mutual listening, and a willingness to accommodate differences,” he said. He cautioned that a community’s excessive tilt towards singularity can lead to alienation and limit broader social engagement.
The delegation was led by educationist and businessman Zafar Sareshwala. Among those present were Naima Khatoon, KausarJahan, Zahir I Kazi, DrNishatHussain (AIMS Gold Medalist), Samina Shaikh (journalist with Zoom TV), and social entrepreneur BhamlaSaher.
Industrialists from Gujarat and Maharashtra also participated, including Faruk Patel (Chairman, KP Group), Inamul and IbrarRaki (CMDs, German Steel Co.), Haji Rayama from Kutch, AltafSadikot of the DawoodiBohra community, and Juned Sharif (CMD, Niton Valves Ltd).
https://www.awazthevoice.in/upload/news/1776511835FVDF.JPGNSA AjitDoval in a significant interaction with distinguished members of the Muslim community
Doval stressed the need to strengthen systems to expand opportunities for Muslims and encouraged business leaders to take the initiative in establishing schools, educational institutions, and scholarship programs for underprivileged students, irrespective of religion.
Speaking at the event, AMU Vice-Chancellor Naima Khatoon credited government emphasis on women’s empowerment for her appointment, noting that she became the university’s first woman VC in over a century. KausarJahan highlighted government initiatives that have enabled women to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage independently.
Zafar Sareshwala raised concerns about housing challenges faced by Muslims in Gujarat due to the Disturbed Areas Act, which restricts inter-community property transactions. He noted that the law, implemented in 1985, continues to contribute to housing shortages in Muslim-majority areas and suggested that its provisions be reconsidered.
DrZahir I. Kazi, a Padma awardee and president of Anjuman-I-Islam, pointed out that while his institution has produced scholars who have gone on to contribute to programs such as the US lunar mission and study at Ivy League universities, restrictions under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) hinder access to educational grants from Gulf countries.
Faruk Patel shared his personal journey, noting that his father was a bus conductor before he entered business. Today, his company employs around 1,600 people, 90 percent of whom are non-Muslims. He emphasized that the government has not been an obstacle to business growth in Gujarat and attributed the community’s progress to a conducive environment. He added that while Muslim entrepreneurs do not seek financial assistance, they would welcome support in fostering a more positive perception of the community.
Source: www.awazthevoice.in
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A War in the Persian Gulf Is Plunging Pakistan Into Darkness
By Bilal Hussain
April 19, 2026
A child uses a mobile phone torch to climb down from his apartment during a power outage in Islamabad on April 15.Photographer: Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images
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Electricity has become a luxury for Mohammad Rizwan.
Over the past week, the 52-year-old has faced daily blackouts at his house in Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital. When he leaves for his office in the morning, there is no power. When he gets home, the electricity is still out. His kitchen gets piped gas only two hours a day, forcing the family to rely on expensive cylinders.
Source: www.bloomberg.com
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Israel’s Hidden Role in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
Apr 18 2026
membio/depositphotos
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The history of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a faith-based international body founded in 1969 in Rabat, Morocco, is intimately intertwined with the history of Israel and its political actions in the West Bank and Gaza. This connection is already visible in the organization’s founding document. Its Charter, signed in the same year and effective from 1972, explicitly mentions only two of its 57 Member States (MS) and three of its MS’ cities (cf. Arts. 14, 18, 21, 39), and it implicitly alludes to only one non-MS: Israel. It can be read in its preamble that the OIC MS determined ‘to support the struggle of the Palestinian people, who are presently under foreign occupation’ and ‘to establish their sovereign State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital’.
In this contribution, I argue that Israel acts as a quasi-non-MS within the OIC and, more specifically, as a case of what I define as negative memberness. Though formally excluded, it is able to shape the internal dynamics of the organization while serving as a constitutive other, or enemy, in Schmitt’s terminology (2007). The application of the friend/enemy distinction to International Relations is not uncontested: Teschke (2011) has argued that Schmitt’s conceptual vocabulary was forged within a specific ideological context, namely the legitimation of Nazi Germany’s spatial politics, which makes its de-contextualized application problematic. For this reason, the concept is employed here as a descriptive device aimed at mapping how opposition structures identity within an international organization, rather than as a general explanatory framework.
IR scholars as social scientists were relatively late in recognizing the role played by religion, initially embracing the Orientalist tendency to label it as a primordial impulse destined to disappear as societies modernize (Modongal, 2023). Events such as the 1967 Six-Day War, the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, and the end of the Cold War led some scholars (Huntington, 1993; Juergensmeyer, 1993) to acknowledge that religion indeed plays a crucial role in IR. Such acknowledgment grew stronger after the 9/11 attacks and the rise and fall of ISIS, further consolidating the place of religion within the discipline. Authors have since re-interpreted old concepts in light of this perspective: for instance, the concept of ‘religious soft power’ (Ozturk, 2023) was developed from Nye’s idea of ‘soft power’ (1990). It is meaningful that, as of today, the second largest international organization after the UN is the OIC, a body founded on religious ground, whose very existence challenges earlier assumptions about the marginality of religion in global politics.
Although the OIC was founded in 1969, the idea of an Islamic supranational entity traces back to the concept of ʾummah, an Arabic term that means ‘community’ (cf. Quran 3:104). The idea of a political entity whose borders were defined not only by territorial conquest or treaties but primarily by the shared faith of its inhabitants took institutional form in the Caliphate immediately following the death of Muhammad in 632. The Caliphate, as a political institution, lasted until 1922 with the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate by the Kemalist Turkish National Assembly. Since then, Islamist ideologues, pundits, thinkers, politicians, and theologians have advocated for the reconstitution of the Caliphate, often referring to the ideal model of the first four Caliphs, the Rašidūn, or ‘Rightly Guided’ (Rida, 2024). More generally, the renewed emphasis on unity on a religious basis in Islam has been labelled Pan-Islamism, a political movement initially proposed by Abdülhamid II to face the territorial losses suffered during his reign from 1876 to 1909, in opposition to the Tanzimat reforms (Chouinard, 2010). Influential thinkers such as Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī (1839–1897), MuḥammadʿAbduh (1849–1905), and RashīdRida (1865–1935) argued that the unity of the Islamic world could be both a source of decline, if neglected or misinterpreted, and a potential basis for its rebirth if properly understood.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was the 1969 arson attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem by Denis Michael Rohan, an Australian Christian fundamentalist. The subsequent summit in Morocco, which gathered representatives from 24 Muslim countries and preceded the First Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah the following year, effectively transformed the Pan-Islamic impetus into a recognized international organization. While religion was the common denominator, the Islamization of the struggle against Israel was simultaneously catalyzed, even though it would later crystallize in a more radical form with the Muslim Brotherhood’s activity in the Gaza Strip (Litvak, 1998).
Egyptian President al-Nāṣir’s Pan-Arabism was being counteracted by Saudi Arabia’s King Fayṣal through Pan-Islamism (Sheikh, 2003). After the death of the founder of the modern Saudi state ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz in 1953 and the consequent loss of a powerful legitimizing factor, the tendency of his son Saʾūd (1953–1964) to align closely with Egypt and Syria became increasingly problematic. Events such as the 1956 Suez Crisis and the 1958 formation of the United Arab Republic led to al-Nāṣir’s surging popularity as the leader of a secular, socialist, and republican Pan-Arabism (Baba, 1992). The values he represented posed a direct threat to the region’s autocratic regimes. After succeeding his brother, King Fayṣal, a political and diplomatic maven, seized the opportunity to champion Pan-Islamism. Following years of efforts that included the foundation of the Muslim World League in 1962, he leveraged the aftermath of the 1967 war to take decisive action in 1969.
Even though reading the OIC as a purely anti-Israeli institution would be far from reality, the political, in Schmittian terms, was deeply rooted in the designation of Israel as the enemy. The struggle against Israel provided a common framework through which cooperation on a religious basis could be promoted and the organization’s identity strengthened, while the pervasiveness of Palestine-related concerns allowed for a further complexification of the OIC’s structure through the institutionalization of Committees and Groups specifically dedicated to the cause, such as the Al-Quds Committee, the Six-Party Committee on Palestine, and the Ministerial Contact Group on the Question of Palestine and Jerusalem (Alrantisi, 2025). Moreover, Israel as a common reference point of opposition has continued to shape collective action, as shown by Saudi Arabia’s call for an unprecedented joint Arab-Islamic extraordinary summit on 11 November 2023 in Riyadh, a format replicated in 2024 and 2025. While the Arab League has historically proven unable to create a common front capable of transcending national interests or, in other words, of preventing nationalism from becoming national particularism (Manduchi, 2017), Pan-Islamism has confirmed its role as a primary vehicle for collective action, leveraging the identification of a common adversary to bridge the gap between divergent national agendas.
Although, according to its Charter, OIC MS are ‘equal in rights and obligations’ (Art. 2), some nations exert more influence than others, effectively promoting their interests within specific niches. Constructivist analyses highlight, for instance, how the organization’s foundational principles are interpreted by MS according to their respective identities and interests. In such scenarios, the Saudi conception of the ʾummah as a purely religious entity contrasts with that of Iran, which views it as a theological-political entity; meanwhile, Pakistan perceives it as a security community, whereas Turkey and Malaysia reframe the concept through the lens of moderation and modernization (Sheikh, 2003; Kayaoglu, 2015). Balances of power, identities, and values, however, are mutable variables that need to be reassessed periodically in IR.
The crisis that divided the GCC in 2017, driven by Qatar’s proximity to the Muslim Brotherhood and promoted by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt, pushed the Gulf monarchies to find common ground with Israel in order to face the perceived threat posed by Islamism, Turkey, and Iran (Mohamed, 2024). Reading the Abraham Accords normalization process between Saudi Arabia and Israel in this light allows one to grasp a potential reconfiguration of roles within the OIC: once the country that hosts two of the holiest sites in Islam (Medina and Mecca) moves away from the centrality of the Palestinian cause, the space it had long occupied within the organization becomes open to contestation. The attacks on 7 October 2023 and the subsequent war provided Turkey, the first Muslim-majority country to have recognized Israel, with an opportunity to recalibrate its stance: the normalization initiatives of 2022 were replaced by Erdoğan’s harsh criticisms and an escalation of tensions with Netanyahu.
Turkey, together with Qatar, played a crucial role in mediating the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, while at the same time pursuing a foreign policy aimed at consolidating its position as a regional power, a trajectory that has increasingly been perceived in Israel as a source of concern, at times even more significant than Iran (Ynet, 2020; Bar’el, 2025). To pursue this role, Turkey has progressively distanced itself from the position it had long occupied both outside and within the OIC: that of a bridge-country, an Islamic-Western actor able to mediate between different political and cultural spheres, as well as a secular leader oriented toward promoting Islamic art and culture (Kayaoglu, 2015). Ekmeleddinİhsanoğlu’s election as Secretary-General in 2004 placed Turkey in a prominent role within the organization, promoting moderation and interreligious dialogue and further shaping its identity within the OIC. Whether Turkey will be willing to consolidate its increasingly confrontational stance towards Israel and to make the Palestinian cause a defining component of its role within the organization remains an open question. This issue also extends to other strategic choices, such as the OIC’s engagement with India as an emerging power (Kulaklikaya, 2025) or the possible intensification of tensions surrounding Kashmir (Rubin, 2025).
On the other hand, Turkey’s historical bridge-role could be reinterpreted or partially assumed by Pakistan. Unlike Turkey, Pakistan is a founding member of the OIC. To move in this direction would imply a shift from its traditional role within the organization, often characterized by a strong security orientation, its status as the only Muslim country to possess nuclear weapons, and its use of veto power in ways that have limited the inclusion of Indian and Chinese Muslims (Kayaoglu, 2015). The ‘Islamabad Peace Talks’ of April 2026, despite their limited results, were driven more by economic than security considerations (Peltier, 2026). Although Pakistan has previously engaged in mediation efforts, particularly with regard to Iran (Pirzada, 1987), its role in facilitating dialogue between the USA and Iran has contributed to presenting it as a potentially reliable intermediary, capable of repositioning itself within the OIC.
In an article titled Porous organizational boundaries and associated states: introducing memberness in international organizations (2023), Hofmann et al. provide a useful framework to move beyond the binary conception of membership in international organizations (IOs) and the exclusive focus on formal members. They account for the influence exerted by so-called third-party states, namely countries that do not meet the formal criteria of membership, whether in terms of language, geography, or religious composition, but that can nonetheless acquire the status of observers, partners, or associates. Their objective is to conceptualize these actors as capable of influencing IOs. They introduce the concept of memberness, a variable aimed at capturing what associated states do within an IO. They distinguish between three types of memberness: payrollers, which provide general-purpose material contributions; sponsors, which provide ideational inputs that shape the allocation of resources; and advisors, which provide technical knowledge and expertise. In light of the dynamics outlined above within the OIC, and considering its specific historical and ideological trajectory, expanding this framework allows for a broader understanding of how IOs’ internal configurations are shaped in response to external actors and events.
Building on this typology, I propose the concept of negative memberness to describe a state that, while formally excluded from an IO, exerts structural influence over it by functioning as its constitutive enemy. Unlike payrollers, sponsors, or advisors, a quasi-non-MS shapes the organization not through direct participation but through its position in the international system, which compels member states to react, define themselves in opposition, and institutionalize that opposition.
If one asks which state most deeply influences the OIC, the answer depends on how the range of relevant actors is defined. Limiting the analysis to member states excludes actors such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, which have nonetheless influenced the organization (Karčić, 2013). Expanding it to include third-party states still risks overlooking a pivotal actor that has shaped the OIC’s agenda and identity to a considerable extent. Among Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Turkey, on the one hand, and Israel on the other, dismissing the latter on the basis of its non-membership obscures the extent to which many of the organization’s defining moments have been shaped, at least in part, by Israeli domestic and foreign policies. Even though critics have pointed to the OIC’s limited effectiveness in advancing the Palestinian cause, the organization has nonetheless contributed to the construction of what has been described as ‘a strong pro-Palestinian norm among Muslim states… [socializing] Muslim leaders across the globe into a pro-Palestinian world-view’ (Kayaoglu, 2015, 62). From a constructivist perspective, the identification of an enemy, understood in Schmittian terms, plays a significant role in shaping how an IO understands itself and its position in the international arena.
To revert the plot of Azem’s The Book of Disappearance (2019), in which Palestinians suddenly disappear and Israel is left to question its identity without them, one may ask what would become of the OIC if Israel’s role as a constitutive enemy were to be fundamentally altered. Whether through a full withdrawal from the occupied territories or through more coercive policies, such a shift would alter the condition of negative memberness on which a significant part of the organization’s identity has been built. This does not imply that the OIC lacks other functions: existing literature has highlighted its role in promoting economic cooperation and Islamic finance among its member states (Ma &Hou, 2015; Majeed, 2015; Badreldin, 2020). At the same time, the centrality of the Palestinian issue remains a key element in understanding its development.
How Israel’s position is framed, then, becomes crucial for extending this analysis beyond the OIC. Israel is neither a member state nor a third-party actor in formal terms, yet it exerts a form of influence that differs from that of both categories. Through its bilateral relations with member states, and through its capacity to activate or de-escalate issues such as the status of Jerusalem or the conditions in Gaza, it affects the organization’s agenda and internal cohesion. In this sense, Israel can be seen as one of the most structurally influential actors shaping the OIC, even if this influence operates differently from that of its member states. As the organization’s constitutive enemy, it does not promote a particular interpretation of the ʾummah from within the institutional framework. Its influence is indirect, and often not fully intentional in its mechanisms, even when it produces observable political effects. Processes of normalization with countries such as Morocco or Saudi Arabia, for instance, can contribute to redefining these states’ roles within the OIC and the positions they advance. Israel’s position can therefore be understood in terms of negative memberness: a quasi-non-MS whose influence operates through the structural pressure it exerts on member states’ identities rather than through institutional participation. The form of soft power at play in this case is peculiar, as it derives less from deliberate strategy than from the political consequences of Israel’s existence and policies.
Starting the analysis of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation through a Schmittian lens risks overlooking the fact that enmity is a historically produced and institutionally mediated condition rather than a transhistorical constant. The concepts of quasi-non-MS and negative memberness are here proposed as correctives: heuristic tools aimed at mapping how a non-member state can, voluntarily or involuntarily, shape an IO’s identity, agenda, and internal equilibrium through its foreign and domestic policies.
In light of the most recent developments of the Israel-Palestine issue, a rethinking of the OIC appears necessary. Like other international organizations, it operates as an intergovernmental forum while also acting as a producer of collective norms and identities. In this context, Israel occupies a structurally central position within the OIC’s political and normative horizon. It is both an object of collective positioning and, indirectly, a factor that contributes to shaping that positioning.
Those member states that pursue normalization risk opening space for other actors, such as Iran, Turkey, Qatar, and various Islamist movements, to frame themselves as the primary defenders of the Palestinian cause and of a broader Islamic political identity. Developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict should therefore be read not only in their immediate geopolitical dimension, but also in terms of their implications for the internal equilibrium of the OIC and the ongoing reconfiguration of roles, identities, and forms of leadership within it.
Source: www.e-ir.info
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Dialogue: Path to Lasting Peace Between Afghanistan, Pakistan
April 19, 2026
The recent statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscores that diplomatic channels with Afghanistan remain open, with security issues at the forefront of discussions. This development follows talks held in China, where both sides engaged on matters of bilateral relations and regional stability. For Afghanistan, the emphasis on dialogue is consistent with the policy of the Islamic Emirate. Conflicts, no matter how prolonged, ultimately find resolution through negotiation and diplomatic engagement.
Pakistan’s spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, highlighted that Islamabad expects written assurances from Kabul regarding security commitments. While such expectations reflect Pakistan’s concerns, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has consistently maintained that peace and stability in the region can only be achieved through mutual respect and adherence to agreements. The Doha commitments remain a reference point, but the path forward requires both sides to demonstrate flexibility and sincerity.
Political voices within Pakistan, such as MianIftikharHussain of the Awami National Party, have rightly stressed that decades of tension must give way to dialogue. His call for reducing mistrust resonates with the broader regional need for cooperation. Analysts like HematullahAhmadi also affirm that dialogue, particularly when facilitated by regional actors such as China, can ease misunderstandings and pave the way for constructive outcomes.
From Afghanistan’s perspective, the continuation of tensions only complicates relations and hinders progress in political, security, and economic spheres. The Islamic Emirate believes that dialogue is not merely a diplomatic formality but the only viable mechanism to resolve disputes. The China meeting demonstrated that when regional partners contribute to mediation, the chances of reaching common ground increase significantly.
It is important to recognize that war and confrontation, regardless of duration, cannot produce lasting solutions. History has shown that conflicts eventually end at the negotiating table. Afghanistan remains committed to dialogue as the cornerstone of its foreign policy, and it expects Pakistan to reciprocate with sincerity and respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
The way forward lies in strengthening diplomatic channels, building trust, and focusing on shared interests such as regional security and economic cooperation. The Islamic Emirate reiterates that peace is achievable only through dialogue, and the Islamic Emirate stands firmly to engage constructively with Pakistan and other regional partners to ensure stability and prosperity for all.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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Police: More than 9,000 displaced after fire destroys 1,000 homes in Sandakan
19 Apr 2026
An aerial view of the blaze site at Kampung Bahagia in Sandakan April 19, 2026. — Bernama pic
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SANDAKAN, April 19 — A total of 9,007 residents were affected after about 1,000 stilt houses were destroyed in a fire at KampungBahagia here early today.
District police chief ACP George AbdRakman (rpt: Rakman) said police received a report on the incident at 1.30am, before the area was declared a disaster zone at 4 am.
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George said the authorities are currently coordinating the registration of victims for evacuation and the distribution of assistance.
“There are claims that there were deaths. I wish to stress that, so far, I have not received any reports of loss of life. Those injured were likely hurt while trying to save their belongings or assisting others,” he said.
He said disaster management coordination efforts are being carried out with other agencies, including the Fire and Rescue Department and the Civil Defence Force.
He added that the cause of the fire is still under investigation by the department.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Qatar, 15 Arab, Islamic countries condemn Israel's appointment of a diplomatic envoy to so-called "Somaliland"
April 19, 2026
The foreign ministers of the State of Qatar; Kuwait; Saudi Arabia; Egypt; Somalia; Sudan; Libya; Bangladesh; Algeria; Palestine; Turkiye; Indonesia; Pakistan; Mauritania; Jordan; and Oman have strongly condemned Israel's appointment of a diplomatic envoy to the so called Somaliland, considering it a blatant violation of the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
The ministers reiterated their categorical rejection of all unilateral actions that infringe upon the unity or sovereignty of states, emphasizing their unwavering support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia, and their support for the legitimate Somali state institutions as the sole representatives of the will of the Somali people.
The ministers also stressed that such actions are a clear violation of the principles of international law, the United Nations Charter and the Constitutive Act of the African Union, and represent a dangerous precedent that could undermine stability in the Horn of Africa region, negatively impacting regional peace and security in general.
Source: www.gulf-times.com
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The Pope’s record on Islam and the persecution of Christians is beyond reproach
April 18, 2026
A bizarre and erroneous narrative has been peddled in recent days that the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, panders to Islam and has remained silent over the persecution of Christians.
Much stems from his Algeria visit earlier this week, where the 70-year-old Pontiff visited the Martyrs’ Memorial, which honours those who died in the war that ensued when Algeria sought independence from France. Some have tried to present this as a bending of the cap to the Islamic forces which sought freedom from a Catholic power. Whilst it is correct to say that Algerian independence led to the marginalisation of Christianity in public life, as well as the exodus of Catholic European settlers, French colonial power was a far cry from a model of Catholic integralism. Indeed, in 1958, the first year of the Algerian War of Independence, the French constitution was adopted to establish the Fifth Republic, stating: “France is an indivisible, secular (laïque), democratic and social Republic.”
Source: thecatholicherald.com
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'Whether people like Israel or not ... ': Trump hails 'great ally' of US for 'knowing how to win'
Apr 19, 2026
US President Donald Trump on Sunday praised Israel as a “great ally” of the United States, saying the country has shown strength and resolve as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Whether people like Israel or not, they have proven to be a GREAT Ally of the United States of America. They are Courageous, Bold, Loyal, and Smart and, unlike others that have shown their true colors in a moment of conflict and stress, Israel fights hard, and knows how to WIN! President DJT.”
Meanwhile, efforts to de-escalate the conflict remain uncertain. Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad BagherGhalibaf said negotiations with the United States had made some progress but were still far from complete. “We are still far from the final discussion,” he said, adding that “there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain”.
The conflict has already taken a heavy toll. Iranian authorities say 3,468 people have been killed in the war involving the United States and Israel. On the Israeli side, the military confirmed that Command Sergeant Barak Kalfon, 48, was killed in southern Lebanon, where a fragile ceasefire had recently come into effect.
Tensions have also spread to United Nations forces. Antonio Guterres condemned an attack on peacekeepers in southern Lebanon that killed a French soldier and wounded three others. France blamed Hezbollah, though the group denied involvement and called for an investigation.
Despite a 10-day truce, clashes have continued. Israel said it carried out strikes against what it described as a “terrorist cell” in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah leader NaimQassem warned that any ceasefire must be mutual. “Because we do not trust this enemy, the resistance fighters will remain in the field with their hands on the trigger,” he said, adding: “There is no ceasefire from the side of the resistance only, it must be from both sides.”
The situation has been further complicated by rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy warned that any vessel attempting to approach the key shipping route could be targeted, raising fears of disruption to global oil supplies.
Trump also addressed the issue, warning Tehran against using the waterway as leverage. “We’re talking to them… and they can’t blackmail us,” he said.
Source: timesofindia.com
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Stop ‘victimising’ Saraki, prioritise regional unity — Islamic cleric tells Kwara governor
By Ibrahim Ramalan
April 18, 2026
An Islamic cleric and national leader of the , Sheikh Gwani Yusuf Hamza Yusuf (Abu Abdulmajid), has called on Kwara State Governor, , to end what he described as the “persistent victimisation and harassment” of former Senate President and his allies.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, the cleric said the political feud in Kwara State has become a distraction at a time when Northern Nigeria is grappling with economic and security challenges.
Gwani Yusuf criticised actions by state authorities, including the decision to arraign Saraki and his associates before the Kwara State High Court over the 2018 Offa robbery incident, describing the move as a political witch-hunt.
“What we are witnessing in Kwara today is not accountability; it is victimisation and harassment of a prominent northern son,” he said. “The governor must rise above personal politics and govern for all Kwarans, because everything in life is a matter of time.”
The cleric warned that the ongoing political rift in Kwara State could undermine the North’s collective interests ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The North cannot afford to be seen cannibalising its own leaders while we ask other regions to respect our political strength. Unity is not a slogan; it is a strategy,” he added.
“We need to build bridges, not burn them, in the interest of a united and prosperous Northern Nigeria.”
Source: dailynigerian.com
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India
‘Diverting resources for infiltrators’: Remove Mamata as Bengal CM, else Bangladeshi Muslims will snatch state from us, says HimantaBiswa
Apr 18, 2026
KOLKATA: Assam chief minister HimantaBiswaSarma on Saturday accused the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government of diverting state resources for “Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators” and said she must be removed from power, warning that “otherwise we will lose Bengal.”
Addressing a rally in Kalimpong, the BJP leader claimed that governments led by his party in Assam and Tripura have prevented the entry of “Bangladeshi Muslims” into India, while alleging that infiltration by illegal immigrants continues in West Bengal.
"Mamata Banerjee has earmarked the entire treasury of Bengal for Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators. She sold this land to Bangladeshi Muslims for votes," he alleged.
Source: timesofindia.com
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Hidden heritage: 18th-century Kakrabad mosque falls into ruin
By Aakash Ghosh
Apr 19, 2026
A short detour off the Ring Road, along narrow trails cutting through wheat fields and overgrown bushes, leads to a forgotten relic of Awadh’s past — crumbling, silent, yet not entirely abandoned.
The Kakrabad mosque, also known as Almaski Masjid, is an 18th-century structure believed to have been built in 1776 during the reign of Asaf-ud-Daula. Today, it stands in a state of alarming decay. Located barely 11-12 km from the city, the mosque remains undocumented and largely unknown even to officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the state archaeology department, and the Waqf Board. A cursory online search yields only a handful of posts highlighting its deteriorating condition.
“A couple of years ago, all four minarets towered over the landscape; today only one of them survives,” noted a 2020 post by the page ‘Mosque of India’, one of the few digital references to the structure. The post also observed that the lime plaster has long peeled off, exposing the underlying lakhori bricks to the elements and accelerating decay.
“Almas Ali Khan — a khwajasara (third gender), Hindu by birth, and part of the dowry of Bahu Begum at Faizabad — later rose to prominence under Asaf-ud-Daula with the title Rukun-ud-Daula. Known as a wealthy noble and prolific builder, he is credited with constructing an imambara, a karbala, and a palace in his estate, Almasbagh. He was also known for using distinctive ‘Almasi’ bricks, larger than the slender lakhori bricks common at the time,” Lucknow-based historian PC Sarkar said.
Today, however, little remains of that grandeur. Deep cracks run across the structure, sections have collapsed, and vegetation has crept into its weakening walls. Standing on the bank of the Gomti, its fragile silhouette struggles against time and neglect.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
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Trinamool or Cong-CPM? Minority muddle in Malda, Murshidabad before Bengal polls
SnehamoyChakraborty
19.04.26
The poll discourse in Bengal points to a dilemma among Muslims, who have traditionally supported the Trinamool Congress but many of whom are now questioning the state government’s commitment to their real uplift and are willing to consider other options.
“Why will we vote for Trinamool? What has the party done for Muslims? Where are the jobs? Is the dole enough for our livelihood?” Dildar Sheikh, 45, chimed in as this reporter was speaking to three women sitting in the courtyard of a mud house at Sheikh Para village in Murshidabad’sBhagabangola.
Sheikh Para is 226 km from Kolkata. The streets were almost deserted, barring a few women busy rolling bidis under the searing summer sun.
MamtazBiwi, who had been lauding chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her LakshmirBhandar scheme, seemed thrown off by Dildar’s questions. As he continued to vent his disenchantment with Trinamool’s stance on the Waqf Amendment Act and Mamata’s “failure” to address the issue of OBC quota for Muslims, 66-year-old Sheikh Akhtar Hossain weighed in.
“Who will you vote for then? Please don’t say the BJP,” Hossain said. He, however, acknowledged that this election was unlike any other, as lakhs of names had been deleted from the voter rolls.
Source: www.telegraphindia.com
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Man heckles Muslim couple on Noida road, faces backlash; held
Apr 19, 2026
Noida: A man was arrested for allegedly heckling and harassing a Muslim couple in Gaur City 2, triggering a sharp public backlash that was captured in a video posted online.
Police said the accused, allegedly drunk, got into a late-night confrontation with the couple near White Orchid market on Thursday, before bystanders stepped in and challenged his behaviour.
The accused was identified as Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Ram Shyam Enclave in ChipiyanaBuzurg. According to police in Bisrakh, the dispute began when Imran and his wife, who was in a hijab, were standing near Kumar’s car and he objected to it. The argument quickly escalated into a verbal altercation, drawing a crowd.
Source: timesofindia.com
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Bihar CM SamratChoudhary refuses to wear skull cap offered by Muslim worker
Manisha Gupta
April 19, 2026
In a viral video, Bihar Chief Minister SamratChoudhary can be seen refusing to wear a skull cap offered by a Muslim worker during a public interaction in Patna. The incident took place during a public programme held to welcome Choudhary after he took oath as Chief Minister on April 15. Since assuming office, he has been meeting party workers and supporters at various events.
During the interaction, a Muslim man greeted the Chief Minister and tried to place a skull cap on his head. Choudhary stopped him politely, took the cap in his hand, and later handed it over to his security staff.
Source: www.thestatesman.com
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Pakistan
Pakistan tightens security as US-Iran talks loom amid diplomatic push
19.04.26
Despite no official announcement about a second round of talks between the US and Iran, Pakistani authorities have begun taking stringent security measures for the safety of foreign delegates.
The US and Iran held rare direct talks in Pakistan on April 11 and 12 aimed at ending their conflict, but the talks ended without any agreement.
Pakistan re-launched its diplomatic efforts to facilitate another round of talks in Islamabad for a final agreement to end the war between Washington and Tehran.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye while Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal AsimMunir spent three days in Iran to create a consensus on contentious issues.
More than 10,000 police personnel have been deployed and over 600 checkpoints have been established across Rawalpindi, the sprawling city adjacent to Islamabad, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.
Authorities have announced that from Sunday midnight, several sensitive areas surrounding Nur Khan Airbase and Islamabad International Airport will be sealed.
Source: www.telegraphindia.com
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As Trump Cosies Up To Pak's AsimMunir, US Report's "Red Flag" Caution
by: AnushreeJonko
Apr 18, 2026
Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal AsimMunir, was the first foreign leader who visited Iran since the conflict between the US and Iran escalated. He is a figure who has rare close relationships with both US President Donald Trump and Iran's military hierarchy.
According to Fox News Digital, that is because while Munir was serving as Pakistan's director general of military intelligence in 2016 and 2017, he began building ties with Iran.
"He has been interacting with the leadership. He has been interacting with the intelligence community. He has been interacting with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)," Retired Pakistani General Ahmed Saeed told the channel.
Saeed said that apart from the IRGC, Munir also has ties with Iran's regular army and their intelligence. According to him, Munir enjoyed close friendships with former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander QassemSoleimani, who was killed in a US strike in 2020, and commanderHossein Salami, who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2025.
Source: www.ndtv.com
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J&K L-G Sinha dedicates memorial to officer Thapa killed in Pakistan shelling during 2025 conflict
April 19, 2026
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday (April 18, 2026) dedicated a memorial, museum, and library in Rajouri to honour Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr. Raj Kumar Thapa, who was killed in Pakistan shelling during the Operation Sindoor last year.
“This memorial will inspire generations to come. He was selfless and steadfast to public welfare,” Mr. Sinha said.
The event also featured a documentary on Dr. Thapa’s life.
Source: www.thehindu.com
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US choice of mediators like Pakistan snatches defeat from jaws of victory
By: Michael Rubin
April 19, 2026
On 9 April 2026, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif described Israel as “evil,” “a curse for humanity,” a “cancerous state,” and pronouncing Israel guilty of “genocide.” Less than a week later, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt was effusive about the Pakistanis. “The Pakistanis have been incredible mediators throughout this process and we really appreciate their friendship,” she wrote. “They are the only mediator in this negotiation.” On 16 April, President Donald Trump said, “The field marshal has been great. The Prime Minister has been really great in Pakistan so I might go” to a signing ceremony for any deal.
Trump’s comments reflect diplomatic fantasy. It is easy to make a deal; just ask U.S. Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg and French Foreign Minister Aristide Briand, who just short of a century ago, won a Nobel Peace Prize for their agreement to outlaw law. Not to be outdone in naivete, a decade later, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned from a meeting with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler promising “peace for our time” and reported he had averted war.
To be fair to Kellogg, Briand, and Chamberlain, Pakistan today is not their equivalent. They negotiated in good faith hampered by naivete; Pakistan’s role is malevolent. Rogue Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan helped Iran establish its nuclear program; now Washington rewards Islamabad for the mess their own corruption created. Nor should Asif ’s outburst surprise. Pakistan is not only among the world’s most antisemitic countries, but it is also one of the most anti-American. The Pakistani government officially labelled the SEAL Team Six’s raid that killed Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden a “deep disappointment.” Polls showed more than two-thirds of Pakistanis regretted Bin Laden’s death. Over 80% of the calcium ammonium nitrate used by the Taliban to make car bombs and other improvised explosive devices originated in just two Pakistani factories. Pakistan’s support for the Taliban insurgency resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans. If Pakistan has any reach to terror groups and the Islamic Republic, it is because it is a Petri dish for extremist groups, not because Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif or Army Chief AsimMunir seek to trade them for permanent peace.
Source: sundayguardianlive.com
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When Pakistan plays mediator, there’s more than peace on table
Bhopinder Singh
Apr 19, 2026
Irrespective of which way the US-Iran war turns from here, Pakistan’s role as mediator will definitely be a talking point. After an initial round of failed negotiations, will Islamabad end up persuading both sides to back down? Or, given its past track record of mediation, will it end up biting off more than it can chew?
Typically, classic international mediator nations like Norway or Qatar have had established neutrality among the warring stakeholders as the bedrock for intervention. The Pakistanis have, however, have been driven to pursue mediation in a conflict by factors such as providential geography, vested security interests, alliance opportunities, or expected gratification for services rendered. However, unlike the gold standard of an impartial Norway, the Pakistanis do suffer from sovereign perceptions of duplicitousness, an interest-driven approach, and trust deficits, even amongst the warring sides. If morality has driven Norway to mediate, transactional opportunity has historically driven Pakistan.
Source: indianexpress.com
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Mideast
Iranian Army renewed allegiance to ideals of Revolution and martyrs
Apr 19, 2026
Pars Today – A group of senior commanders and combatants of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, on the occasion of April 18, Army Day, gathered at the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini (may God bless his soul) to renew their allegiance to the ideals of Imam Khomeini, the martyrs, and the Islamic Revolution.
“The Army, fully obedient to the commands of the Commander-in-Chief, is ready, powerful, and with its finger on the trigger, and it will not allow any aggression or violation from the enemies of this land.”
“The enemies, at various times, have attempted to undermine national security and unity by creating unrest and waging hybrid warfare; however, the great Iranian nation, through its informed presence and support for the armed forces, has thwarted their plans.”
Source: parstoday.ir
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Iran Air Defense Commander: 170 Enemy drones shot down in Ramadan War
18 Apr 2026
Tehran – Saba: Iran’s Air Defense chief Brig. Gen. Ali Reza al-Hami said Saturday that Iranian forces downed 170 enemy drones during the “Ramadan War” (US-Israeli aggression).
He said the drones included advanced models such as Hermes 900, MQ-9, and Heron, and claimed Iran also targeted a US MQ-4C surveillance aircraft over the Persian Gulf in the final days before the ceasefire.
Al-Hami added that Iran’s record also includes downing several manned fighter jets, including F-35, F-15, F-16, F-18, and A-10, rejecting claims that Iran’s air defenses had been destroyed.
Source: www.saba.ye
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Pezeshkian: Iran's army, an institution rooted in People, a Symbol of national pride, power, and independence
Apr 18, 2026
Pars Today – In a message, the President of Iran has described the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army as an institution arising from the people and an embodiment of national dignity, authority, and independence, while emphasizing the unparalleled role of army personnel in safeguarding the country's security and stability.
According to Pars Today, MasoudPezeshkian, the President of Iran, in his congratulatory message on the occasion of the 29th of Farvardin — the National Army Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran — referred to the Army's role in protecting territorial integrity and societal peace, and stressed the importance of faith, discipline, expertise, and revolutionary spirit in advancing the missions of this people-based force.
In his message, Pezeshkian also referred to the country's sensitive circumstances and existing threats, underscoring the synergy and readiness of Iran's armed forces in defending the nation. He deemed the army's role alongside other defense pillars as decisive and effective.
Source: parstoday.ir
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Araghchi: We are firmly determined to increase engagement with Iran’s armed forces
Apr 19, 2026
Pars Today – Iran’s Foreign Minister emphasized his strong determination to continue interaction, synergy, and cooperation with Iran’s armed forces.
According to Pars Today, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote in a message marking Army Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
“The country’s security and strength arise from firm determination, pure intentions, and the perseverance of brave men who have carried out the defense of the borders and the protection of national interests in the most worthy manner.”
Source: parstoday.ir
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Army commanders renew allegiance with late Imam Khomeini (RA)
Apr 18, 2026
TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) – On the National Day of the Army, the commanders of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army Force visited the Mausoleum of Imam Khomeini (RA) and renewed their allegiance to the ideas and causes of the late imam.
The 29th of Farvardin (April 18) is celebrated in Iran as National Army Day. It was named after "National Army Day" by the late founder of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini (RA).
Source: en.mehrnews.com
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Arab, Muslim states condemn Israel's decision to send envoy to Somaliland
By JAMES GENN
APRIL 19, 2026
Several Arab and Muslim states condemned Israel's announcement that it will send a diplomatic envoy to Somaliland in a joint statement on Saturday.
Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Bangladesh, Algeria, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, Mauritania, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority's respective foreign ministers signed a joint declaration, which called the decision a "flagrant violation of Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Decisions such as Israel sending a diplomatic envoy "represent a dangerous precedent that undermines stability in the Horn of Africa region, with negative repercussions on regional peace and security in general."
Source: www.jpost.com
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https://www.jpost.com/international/article-893426
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Pezeshkian: Iran’s Army an institution emerging from people; symbol of national dignity, power, independence
Apr 19, 2026
Pars Today – In a message, the President of Iran described the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran as an institution arising from the heart of the people and a symbol of national dignity, strength, and independence, emphasizing the irreplaceable role of the army in safeguarding the country’s security and tranquility.
According to Pars Today, MasoudPezeshkian, the President of Iran, in a message congratulating the arrival of 29 Farvardin (April 18), Army Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran, referred to the army’s role in protecting the country’s territorial integrity and social stability. He stressed the importance of faith, discipline, expertise, and a revolutionary spirit in carrying out the missions of this popular force.
Pezeshkian also pointed to the country’s sensitive conditions and existing threats, emphasizing the coordination and readiness of Iran’s armed forces in defending the country, and described the army’s role alongside other pillars of defense as decisive and influential.
Source: parstoday.ir
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South Asia
Sacked staff of six Islamic banks rally in Motijheel, demand reinstatement
19-04-2026
Several thousand former employees dismissed from six Islamic banks gathered in Motijheel today, demanding reinstatement and the dissolution of the current boards of directors.
The protesters assembled in front of Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC in the morning, carrying banners and festoons referring to employees terminated from First Security Islami Bank, Union Bank, Al-ArafahIslami Bank, Global Islami Bank and Social Islami Bank.
Most of the dismissed employees are reportedly from Patiya in Chattogram. They were alleged to have been recruited when the banks were under the control of the controversial business house S Alam Group.
Source: www.thedailystar.net
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Former Australian soldier speaks out against allegations of Afghan war crimes
April 19, 2026
SYDNEY, April 19 (Reuters) - Australia's most decorated soldier, charged with war crimes related to Afghanistan deployments more than a decade ago, on Sunday publicly denied the allegations against him and said he was proud of his service.
Ben Roberts-Smith, 47, freed this week on bail, is charged with five counts of war crimes over the alleged murder of five unarmed Afghan civilians between 2009 and 2012. Each charge carries a maximum jail term of life.
The former Special Air Service (SAS) corporal has consistently denied the accusations of wrongdoing, many first reported by Nine Entertainment newspapers in a series of articles starting in 2018.
Speaking to the media on Queensland's Gold Coast, Roberts-Smith said he always acted within the rules of engagement in Afghanistan.
Source: www.reuters.com
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From Investment to Stability: China’s Recalibration in Afghanistan
Salma Alokozai
April 19, 2026
At first glance, the Taliban appeared to offer China and Pakistan a rare strategic convergence: a regime that could stabilize Afghanistan, facilitate access to its vast natural resources, and integrate the country into regional economic corridors. For China, this presented an opportunity to expand its economic and geopolitical footprint westward; for Pakistan, it reinforced long-standing ambitions to position itself at the center of regional connectivity.
Yet this expectation rested on a fragile assumption that political control would translate into economic reliability. In practice, the experience has been far more uncertain. Despite initially maintaining a relatively accommodating stance toward the Taliban, China has struggled to translate political engagement into viable economic projects. Persistent insecurity, coupled with institutional uncertainty and disputes over contract enforcement, has undermined investor confidence. With the exception of the Amu Darya oil contract, signed in 2023 and since collapsed amid disagreements over royalties and implementation, most proposed investments have failed to move beyond announcements.
China has not disengaged. Instead, it has recalibrated. In recent weeks, Beijing has taken a more active diplomatic role, including facilitating dialogue between the Taliban and Pakistan and advancing regional discussions framed around stability and cooperation. At the same time, its engagement has included humanitarian assistance and continued diplomatic outreach through its embassy in Kabul.
Source: 8am.media
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Afghanistan exports carpets, rugs worth 18 mln USD in 1 year
2026-04-18
KABUL, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan exported carpets and rugs worth 18 million U.S. dollars over the past year, with shipments going to 37 countries, the official Bakhtar News Agency reported on Saturday.
"About 6,000 square meters of carpets and 4,000 square meters of rugs were exported over the past year," Bakhtar quoted Abdullah Rahman Qul, head of the Carpet Union in Afghanistan, as saying.
Rahman Qul noted that carpet processing is now being carried out inside the country, and that further expansion of domestic processing could create employment opportunities for around 50,000 people.
He added that the Carpet Union is working to increase the number of exhibitions in order to better introduce domestic products to international markets and attract new buyers for Afghan carpets.
Source: english.news.cn
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https://english.news.cn/20260418/821c5cd4297c4fb5a67d5467c8f09258/c.html
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Ex-union minister Dinesh Trivedi to be India's next ambassador to Bangladesh as nations reset ties
Apr 19, 2026
By Shishir Gupta
In a significant development, the NarendraModi government has decided to send former Union Minister and Barrackpore MP, now a BJP leader, Dinesh Trivedi, as India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh. As a first political appointee in the neighbourhood after a long time, Trivedi will replace career diplomat PranayVerma, who moves to Brussels as the Indian ambassador to the EU.
While agreement will be sought from the Tarique Rahman government in Dhaka for Trivedi, the decision to send a 75-year-old veteran politician as India’s envoy to Bangladesh is also a message of accountability to the Ministry of External Affairs' diplomats.
Trivedi was a Union Minister for Railways and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare during the UPA regime, as a member of the Trinamool Congress. He resigned from the TMC on February 12, 2021 and joined the BJP on March 6, 2021.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
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Bangladesh raises fuel prices as conflict in West Asia drives up costs
April 19, 2026
Bangladesh has raised retail fuel prices by 10% to 15%, citing a sharp surge in global crude oil prices and tightening supplies caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the Energy Ministry said late on Saturday (April 18, 2026).
Under the new rates, petrol will sell at 135 taka ($1.10) per litre, up from 116 taka, diesel at 115 taka and kerosene at 130 taka, according to an official notification.
Officials said the increase was unavoidable as rising crude prices, supply chain disruptions and higher freight and insurance costs pushed up import expenses in recentweeks, particularly after oil prices have jumped during the seven-week-old war on Iran.
Source: www.thehindu.com
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Bangladesh’s ‘foreign policy bankruptcy’ laid bare amid global crisis: Report
By: Gopi
April 18, 2026
London, April 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bangladesh is grappling with fuel shortages, rising prices, and diplomatic uncertainty while attempting to avoid offending any major power. The government's carefully worded statements during the recent conflict in West Asia have drawn criticism at home and scrutiny abroad, a report stated on Saturday.
According to the UK-based Middle East Monitor, at a deeper level, the situation reflects a more fundamental issue – the absence of a coherent foreign policy strategy in Bangladesh.
A reactive, risk-averse posture shaped more by dependency than principle is, the report stated, a condition that can be described as foreign policy bankruptcy.
"The US–Israel war on Iran has shaken the whole world. The surprising air attacks on February 28, amid ongoing diplomatic negotiations, came as a shocking development, drawing condemnations and muted responses from around the world. Bangladesh's reactions to the war, crafted in measured words, condemned violations of sovereignty of the Gulf states by Iranian counterstrikes, but not Iran's sovereignty violated by the US and Israel," the report detailed.
"The reference to Iran as the primary victim was missing, exposing not just economic vulnerability, which is widely acknowledged, but a deeper, structural weakness in Bangladesh's foreign policy. The war has not created this weakness; it has simply revealed it," it added.
Source: www.socialnews.xyz
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Southeast Asia
MACC urges tighter safeguards to curb smuggling and corruption in high-risk regions
19 Apr 2026
ALOR SETAR, April 19 — Prevention and public awareness must be strengthened alongside enforcement in high-risk areas vulnerable to smuggling, cross-border crime, duty-free abuse, and customs issues, said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Management and Professional) DatukJunipahWandi said such issues have implications for national security and the economy.
KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — Tensions in the Middle East, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, will not be mirrored in the Strait of Malacca, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed...
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Sarawak rejects ‘golden goose’ accusation, says gas push is about fairness
By Malay Mail
19 Apr 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — Sarawak will pursue its own framework to manage the state’s gas resources without affecting the role of Petroliam NasionalBerhad (Petronas), Premier Tan Sri AbangJohariAbangOpeng said today.
According to BeritaHarian, he said the formula being developed is not intended to “kill” the national oil company, but to ensure fairness for Sarawak as a major gas producer.
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“This is what we want to implement in gas management,” he said at the GabunganParti Sarawak (GPS) convention at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) in Kuching.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Cops investigate social media posts linking Selangor religious councils to corruption and ‘royal immunity’ claims
19 Apr 2026
SHAH ALAM, April 19 — The police are investigating an individual who is believed to have made defamatory statements against the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) through social media posts.
Selangor police chief DatukShazeliKahar said this was following a report received by his department on April 16, which alleged that the content was created to tarnish the image of Mais and Jais.
“The complainant alleged that the content of the video is defamatory as it makes accusations of corruption and the use of royal immunity, which appears to be deliberately made to tarnish the image of Mais and Jais,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Zahid: New ‘green rubber fuel’ could ease rising energy costs
19 Apr 2026
SHAH ALAM, April 19 — Malaysia currently has 19 biofuel production plants based on rubber waste, with a monthly capacity of approximately 1.5 million litres, thus having the potential to become a new alternative energy source amid the global energy crisis.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad ZahidHamidi said that the biofuel production initiative had been presented to the National Economic Action Council (MTEN) through collaboration between government agencies and private companies in the plantation sector.
“There are now 19 biofuel production plants ranging from B15 to B50. We will use sludge or by-products from CPO production, where about 35 per cent of the sludge will be fully utilised to produce biofuel as well as Jet A1 fuel.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Zambry: UM report admits ‘sensitive’ elements in theatre row, corrective steps underway
By Malay Mail
19 Apr 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — Universiti Malaya (UM) has acknowledged “sensitive” elements in a recent theatre performance that drew online backlash, submitting a report to the Higher Education Ministry.
According to The Star, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir said the university, in its report, admitted that parts of the performance “were sensitive and required improvement”, adding that steps were already under way to address the issue.
Speaking to reporters after a walkabout at the Sabah Zone II JomMasukUniversiti 2026 programme at Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Kota Kinabalu, Zambry said creative expression must still sit within accepted norms.
“However, sometimes when creative programmes are carried out by students, they are viewed from different perspectives,” he said, noting public concern and criticism over the performance.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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DAP must reassess direction to stay relevant, says Anthony Loke
19 Apr 2026
BUKIT MERTAJAM, April 19 — DAP must reassess its direction and set a clear strategic path to ensure the continuity of its struggle, said secretary-general Anthony LokeSiewFook.
He said the party’s national convention, scheduled to be held in the next two to three months, will serve as a key platform for leaders and members to reflect, deliberate and determine the party’s future direction.
BUKIT MERTAJAM, April 16 — The Penang Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) has issued a notice to investigate a fuel station at the Juru northbound Rest and...
“This is a crucial moment for the party, for us to think, reflect and discuss how we can continue moving forward and remain strong,” he said at the launch of DAP’s 60th anniversary celebration today.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Zahid: 6,252 former members apply to rejoin Umno in sign of resurgence
By Malay Mail
19 Apr 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — More than 6,200 former Umno members have applied to rejoin the party, its president Datuk Seri Ahmad ZahidHamidi said today, hailing the surge as a boost for the party.
This comes as Umno said it had approved the unconditional return of former Youth chief KhairyJamaluddin, former vice president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and former foreign minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar.
Prize money boost aims for fairer distributionRoland-Garros prize fund still trails other Grand SlamsTournament to trial wearable tech for player dataRetiring players including...
According to SinarHarian, Ahmad Zahid added the party has streamlined the re-entry process, with applicants now only required to submit a letter of intent for swift approval.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Arab world
Arab, Islamic states condemn Israel’s Somaliland envoy move
Ahmad SohaibHasrat
April 19, 2026
KABUL (Pajhwok): Foreign ministers of 16 Arab and Islamic countries have condemned Israel’s appointment of a diplomatic representative in Somaliland, describing the move as a clear violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.News subscription service
In a joint statement issued on Saturday in Doha, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Bangladesh, Algeria, Palestine, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, Mauritania, Jordan and Oman strongly denounced Israel’s decision to appoint a diplomatic representative in the region referred to as Somaliland.
The statement said the move constitutes a clear breach of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Source: pajhwok.com
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Worshipper who mistook home for a mosque slapped by owner
By ZainabAlmahdi
19 Apr 2026
A worshipper, who entered a private home thinking it was a mosque, suffered considerable hearing loss after the homeowner violently slapped him for trespassing.
The angry 60-year-old who encountered his uninvited visitor will now perform a year of community service after High Criminal Court judges found him guilty of rupturing the man’s eardrum with a single blow to the cheek.
Since he was unable to pray on time while his blood sample was being taken, he went looking for a mosque in the Salmaniya area to perform his noon prayer.
“I yelled at the trespasser, telling him that this wasn’t a mosque, there’s a bell at the door, and that the privacy of homes is sacred.”
Source: www.gdnonline.com
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https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1391922
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Lower Section of Kaaba’sKiswa Raised in Preparation for Hajj 1447 AH
19-04-2026
The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque has completed the annual raising of the lower section of the Kiswa (Kaaba's covering) by three meters, as part of a comprehensive preparations to receive pilgrims for the Hajj season of 1447 AH.
The operation was executed by a specialized team of 34 skilled craftsmen who completed the task in two hours. Following organized and precise protocols, the team raised the silk covering and secured a two-meter-wide white cotton cloth around all four sides of the Kaaba.
Source: www.alriyadhdaily.com
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https://www.alriyadhdaily.com/article/60acf0885a7b4e2c96871585e3e7c776
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Saudi Arabia: All visit visas barred from Hajj access
April 18, 2026
Dubai: Saudi Arabia has introduced a strict set of measures ahead of this year’s Hajj season, warning that all visit visas, regardless of type, do not permit holders to perform the pilgrimage, as authorities intensify efforts to regulate access to Mecca and protect pilgrims.
The Ministry of Interior said only those holding an official Hajj permit will be allowed to enter Mecca and the holy sites during the pilgrimage period, which runs from the start of Dhu Al Qi’dah until the 14th of Dhu Al Hijjah. Anyone attempting to enter or remain in the area without authorisation during this time will be considered in violation of the law.
Penalties are substantial. Visit visa holders who attempt to perform Hajj, or try to enter Mecca and the holy sites, face fines of up to 20,000 Saudi riyals. Residents and overstayers found performing Hajj without a permit will be deported and banned from re-entering the Kingdom for 10 years.
The measures coincide with the enforcement of departure deadlines for Umrah pilgrims. Saturday, April 18, 2026, marked the final day for Umrah visitors to leave Saudi Arabia.
Remaining in the country beyond that date is considered a violation, with authorities warning that companies and service providers who fail to report overstays could face fines of up to 100,000 riyals, in addition to further legal action.
Source: gulfnews.com
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Ministers Council endorses Revolution Leader decisions , Jihad & Resistance Axis victories
18 Apr 2026
Sana'a - Saba: The Council of Ministers, in its meeting chaired on Saturday by Acting Prime Minister Allama Mohammed Miftah, discussed a number of issues on its agenda, foremost among them recent military and security developments.
The Council welcomed the decisions of the Revolution Leader ,Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, in confronting the American and Zionist aggressive project against the peoples of the nation and its holy sites, affirming its full support for these decisions.
It also praised the recent Yemeni military operations, which confirm the unity of fronts and continued readiness for upcoming rounds, as well as the victories achieved by the Jihad and Resistance Axis in Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq.
The Council approved a set of draft decisions related to the development path, strengthening national resilience, and continuing to confront the US-Saudi aggression , reducing its repercussions on living and economic conditions.
Source: www.saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3687833.htm
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Europe
The End of Wilayat al-Faqih, from the Hidden Imam to the Absent Leader
Dr. Adel Al-Toraifi
19-04-2026
In June 1989, Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran, died after months of illness. In the months leading up to his death, Western media focused on possible scenarios for the future of a republic hostile to the United States, Israel and the West. Much of that coverage was marked by optimism.
After a decade of Khomeini’s hardline rule, and less than nine months after the end of the Iran-Iraq war, hopes rose that peace would drive reform once the system’s founder was gone. Statements by senior officials hinted at easing tensions with neighboring states and even raised the possibility of dialogue with the United States, described as the “Great Satan.” Reports at the time also pointed to the start of indirect contacts between Tehran and Washington.
On the eve of the selection of Ali Khamenei as interim leader, the New York Times reported on June 5 that he was once seen as a hardline cleric when he became president in 1981, but was later viewed as more pragmatic, backing efforts to rebuild ties with the West, reduce Iran’s isolation and attract foreign investment after the war with Iraq. The Washington Post took a more positive tone, describing his selection on the same day as a gain for more moderate and pragmatic elements within the Iranian leadership.
Khamenei’s 37-year rule proved more hardline, more radical and more expansive in its support for Iranian-linked militancy than the 1980s. Although it began with signs of social and economic openness and talks with neighboring countries, driven by the late president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the outcome was greater extremism. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps expanded its influence over economic and social life and broadened its activities abroad to include groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, al-Qaeda, ISIS, the Houthis and Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, as well as terrorist organizations around the globe.
Source: english.aawsat.com
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https://english.aawsat.com/opinion/5264027-end-wilayat-al-faqih-hidden-imam-absent-leader
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'We were burgled and had £20k worth of gold jewellery stolen'
Chris Slater
18 Apr 2026
A dad whose family had £20,000 of precious jewellery being stolen from them whilst they were out celebrating Ramadan says he fears they may have been targeted.
Burglars smashed their way into and ransacked the home in Sale which 43 year-old Wassim shares with his wife and two children, aged 10 and five, on the evening of March 15.
They stole a huge amount of gold jewellery which the family had stashed in a rucksack in a draw underneath their bed. Among the haul of enormously sentimental items taken were his wife's wedding and engagement rings as well as items purchased to mark the birth of their children.
It happened whilst the family were out breaking their fast on the 27th night of Ramadan, also known as the Night of Power, which is one of holiest nights in the Islamic calendar.
Wassim, his wife and children had left for a friend's house at around 6pm and quickly nipped home at 9pm before they went to the mosque, when they were greeted by a scene of devastation.
"I didn't notice at first as I had some meals we had been given in my hands and went straight to the kitchen. But then my wife started screaming. She said 'someone has been in here'. I couldn't believe it at first.
"Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
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Ukrainian police fatally shoot gunman who killed at least 6 and took hostages in a supermarket
April 18, 2026
KYIV, Ukraine — A gunman who killed at least six people in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, before taking hostages and barricading himself inside a supermarket on Saturday has been shot and killed by police, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukraine’s special tactical police units stormed the store after attempts to contact the gunman with a negotiator failed, the head of Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, IhorKlymenko, said in a statement on social media. The attacker was killed while resisting arrest, he said.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, Klymenko said that the gunman had killed four bystanders while on the street, before entering the supermarket and killing a fifth person.
Source: www.washingtontimes.com
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Six Killed In Daylight Shooting Incident In Kyiv, Ukrainian Officials Say
April 18, 2026
KYIV -- A shooter killed six people and injured 14 others in Kyiv before being eliminated by Ukraine's special forces in a daylight incident on April 18, Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy said.
Ukrainian Interior Minister IhorKlymenko said the shooter killed four people on a street in the Holosiyivskiy district before barricading himself inside a local supermarket, where he took a hostage and then killed a fifth person.
Kyiv Mayor VitaliKlitschko said the sixth person had died in a hospital was among the people injured in the shooting. According to Klitschko, the injured included a child.
"He shot at point-blank range with single shots. People had almost no chance," Klymenko said, adding that the shooter acted "very chaotically" and without any pattern.
Source: www.rferl.org
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https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-shooting-incident-kyiv/33735226.html
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Ukraine Achieves World First by Downing Shahed Drone from Naval Platform
April 19, 2026
The Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS) of Ukraine have achieved a world-first military milestone by intercepting a Russian Shahed-type drone using an interceptor drone launched from an unmanned surface platform.
The operation was carried out by the 412th “Nemesis” Brigade’s naval drone division, which currently operates in the maritime zone. The SBS released footage of the successful interception on Facebook, hailing it as a “new level of integration” between naval and aerial unmanned capabilities.
Military officials noted that using surface carriers to deploy interceptors significantly expands Ukraine’s ability to counter aerial threats and creates an additional layer of defense for coastal cities.
This technological breakthrough comes amid an intensified campaign by the Unmanned Systems Forces to degrade Russian military assets and infrastructure. Just days prior, on April 15, units under the command of Robert “Madyar” Brovdi successfully targeted 16 Russian high-value targets. These strikes included Iskander missile systems in occupied Crimea, air defense assets like the Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M1, and several ammunition and oil depots.
Source: www.kyivpost.com
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https://www.kyivpost.com/post/74250
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One Dead in Kherson Drone Strike and Three Wounded in Zaporizhzhia Bombing
byTymurDubovyk
April 19, 2026
Russian forces launched fresh attacks on civilian infrastructure and vehicles in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions on Sunday, April 19, resulting in further casualties.
In Kherson, a Russian drone targeted a civilian car at approximately 07:00 a.m. The Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office reported that a 56-year-old man was killed in the strike, while a 41-year-old passenger sustained injuries. Prosecutors have opened a war crimes investigation under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Ivan Fedorov, the Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, confirmed that three women – aged 59, 63, and 85 – were wounded. While all three received immediate medical assistance and are being treated as outpatients, the strike caused significant damage to private homes, garages, and vehicles.
Source: www.kyivpost.com
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https://www.kyivpost.com/post/74255
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North America
With 60 Kirk-themed bills, 20+ US states seek to promote his ideology
Apr 19, 2026
A new Kansas law will allow college students to sue their schools for free-speech violations. In Tennessee, a new law will encourage teachers and professors to include “the positive impacts of religion” in American history courses.
The common factor: Both are being done in the name of Charlie Kirk . The laws are among the first of what could become multiple state tributes to the conservative activist who was killed while speaking at a Utah university last year.
More than 60 Kirk-themed bills have been proposed in over 20 states seeking to promote his ideology, establish official days of remembrance or affix his name to roads and public places, according to an AP analysis using the billtracking software Plural.
Source: timesofindia.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowprint/130364329.cms
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What is Joe Rogan doing in the White House? Trump invites podcaster and calls him 'liberal'
Apr 18, 2026
Joe Rogan’s appearance at the White House alongside Donald Trump has raised eyebrows, after the MAGA podcast host joined the president during the signing of an executive order focused on psychedelic drug research for mental health treatment.
Rogan was present in the Oval Office right behind the POTUS on Saturday as Trump signed a measure aimed at speeding up research and regulatory approval for certain psychedelic-based therapies, particularly those being studied for conditions like depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans.
“Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life,” Trump said.
The order directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to speed up its review process for treatments that are already in advanced clinical trials. It also includes drugs such as psychedelics, which are being studied for mental health care.
Source: timesofindia.com
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'JD Vance’s brown kids are less American': Michigan Democrat attacks US VP, makes crude joke about Usha Vance
Apr 19, 2026
A Michigan Democrat has made controversial remarks about US vice president JD Vance, including comments about his wife and children during a podcast interview.
Abdul El-Sayed, who is seen as a leading contender in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, made the remarks while speaking on a podcast hosted by Brian Allen. A clip from the interview has since gone viral.
During the conversation, El-Sayedcriticised Vance’s political views and questioned how they align with his personal life. Referring to the vice president’s family, he said: “JD Vance has brown kids who he thinks are less American than everyone else. That's wild to look at your own kids and be like, ‘You don't actually belong as much in this country that I brought you into.’”
He also made personal remarks about Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, saying: “Do you think about what’s going through Usha’s head when he talks? She’s like, I guess she’s pregnant so something is happening.”
Source: timesofindia.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowprint/130360670.cms
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What are UFO files? Trump orders full disclosure on extraterrestrial life 'very soon'
Apr 19, 2026
US President Donald Trump announced this week that he has formally directed the Department of War and federal intelligence agencies to begin the declassification and release of government records regarding unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and extraterrestrial life.
Speaking at a rally in Phoenix, the POTUS stated that the process of identifying "very interesting documents" is currently underway. He told the crowd that the first batch of these releases would begin "very, very soon," though the White House has not yet provided a specific calendar for the document drops.
In February 2026, Trump issued a formal directive to secretary of War Pete Hegseth and other agency heads. The order instructs the government to locate and prepare for public release any files related to:
The move comes amid a growing standoff between the Pentagon and Capitol Hill. Representative Anna Paulina Luna, chairwoman of a House task force on federal secrets, recently demanded the release of 46 specific classified videos. These videos reportedly show "tic-tac-shaped" objects performing maneuvers in restricted airspace and war zones.
Source: timesofindia.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowprint/130361789.cms
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Africa
The Last Imam of Zamfara
April 19, 2026
As the inferno of politicized Sharia carelessly lit in a moment of political desperation and hegemonic delinquency spreads to the farthermost corners of northern Nigeria, political oncologists must be wondering how much time is left for the embattled patient to be overwhelmed by the virulent cancer of political disorder. At the last count, more illustrious and decorated officers have been consumed by the scourge than during the civil war and the spate of violent coups. Arriving at the Lagos Airport on the morning of the aborted coup that snuffed life out of Murtala Mohammed in February 1976, General Mohammed Shuwa, distinguished and decorated officer, civil war veteran and member of the Federal Executive council, muttered repeatedly that it was madness. Decades down the line, Shuwa himself would be assassinated by Boko Haram terrorists in his Maiduguri home. If what is going on is not madness, we wonder how it would be described. Nigerians must brace themselves for a final solution to this madness. This morning, we retrace for our readers the origins and trajectory of the madness and the inevitable endgame in an article published in 2000, which was twenty six years ago as the plague began to spread.
When historians come to settle accounts, the outgoing decade(1990-1999) will be recorded as so far the most interesting in the chequered history of Nigeria. Such has been the furious pace of events ,the violent ebb and flow of a great and engrossing drama, the mixture of the unbelievably comic with the unspeakably tragic, the collision of noble causes and ignoble men and women, the follies of flawed heroes and the base instincts of villains without an iota of conscience, that even the most accomplished script writers must take a bow before the grandest movie of them all. Nigeria has taken so many vicious blows to the vital organs that it is a miracle that it is standing at the end of the century. This gluttony for punishment, this immense capacity for self-inflicted pains, is the stuff of all remarkable nations. Like a punch-drunk and thoroughly disoriented boxer, Nigeria sags and lolls on its feet with sympathizers casting anxious glances at the corner for the inevitable towel.
For those interested in the cruel symmetry of political anomie, it may be useful to recall that the nineties opened in Nigeria with fire and thunder. The Orkar revolt of April 22, 1990 remains till date the most devastating armed critique of Nigeria’s ruling military and feudal oligarchy. It was a glimpse of the looming apocalypse. The uprising, in its no-hold-barred violence and sheer daring, foreshadowed the approaching demystification of arms and their official bearers in the Nigerian polity. The military wing of Nigeria’s errant ruling class appeared to have pressed its luck rather hard. A counter-thesis had thrown its hat into the bloody ring. It was said that after this epic event, a noticeable shuffling crept into General Babangida’s bouncy swagger. Soon thereafter, the seasoned despot stole out of Lagos with his army of the night. The endgame was approaching.
Perhaps the highlight of the mutiny was the bizarre excision of a part of Nigeria from the corporate entity. It was arguably the first time in the history of the modern nation-state that a people have been rendered technically nation-less. It was an act of desperation laced with political folly and for the brief moment while Orkar ruled the waves, overseas watchers rubbed their hands in cynical relish. Something new had come out of Africa again. Yet nine years after, and at the end of the decade, there comes the sting in the tail of history. Zamfara state, a constituent part of MajorOrkar’s nation-less entity, has technically expunged itself from Nigeria with its declaration of Sharia law. What Gideon Orkar sought to achieve by force of arms at the beginning of the decade has now been achieved by force of a religious diktat. The fumbling colonial mandarins who yoked the nationalities of Nigeria together and the valiant heroes who sought to turn a potential nightmare into a realistic dream must be turning in
Source: thenationonlineng.net
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https://thenationonlineng.net/the-last-imam-of-zaamfara/
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2027: A Muslim/Christian presidential ticket for APC will fly – Hon Idimogu
by Peter Anayo
As the 2027 General Election in Nigeria draws nearer, a patriotic Nigerian politician and former two term lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sir. Dr. Jude ChukwuemekaOmobowaleIdimogu, has suggested that a Muslim/Christian Presidential Ticket for his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2027, will be a better choice.
HonourableIdimogu who represented Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2 in the Lagos House, in a press statement, made it clear that even though his great party was able to use the Moslem,/Moslem ticket to win the presidency in 2023, there is need for political inclusion of another major religious group, the christians, in the calculation of the party so as to win the election in 2027.
He opined that the President should change his Vice, Sen. KashimShettima, and bring in a strong Christian personality from the North to fly APC flag with him in 2027.
He said that Tinubu should have a heart to heart discussion with Shettima, even giving him the privilege to select who becomes his successor.
Source: championnews.com.ng
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/nsa-ajit-dovalurges-respect-for-multiple-indian-identities/d/139720