Uttarakhand scraps Madarsa Board; Modern schools to replace traditional seminaries

New Age Islam News Bureau

05 February2026

Under the new mandate, students at Madrasas will no longer be restricted to religious studies.

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·         Uttarakhand scraps Madarsa Board; Modern schools to replace traditional seminaries

·         How activists are bearing witness to the erasure of Palestinian communities in the West Bank

·         Abbas praises Saudi Arabia’s ‘honourable and unwavering stances’ on Palestinian cause

·         Leeds man destroyed copies of Quran at St James's Hospital and wrote 'kill Jews' in crayon on prison cell wall

·         Trump assassination attempt case: Man convicted in Florida golf course shooting case gets life in prison

·         Five Months After Writing Letter To District Head, Boko Haram Kills 170 In Kwara community

·         Pakatan Indian MPs urge police to block anti-Hindu temple rally over racial tension concerns

·         WHO Delivers Oxygen Supplies to 23 Hospitals in Kabul and 11 Provinces of Afghanistan

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India

·         Asked To Play Peacemaker, Karnataka Hindu Man Beaten For 'Affair' With Muslim Woman, 4 arrested

·         Two officials from BMC’s licensing department caught red-handed while accepting bribe of Rs 35,000 from cafe shop owner in Mumbai

·         Time has come to reopen closed tourist destinations in J&K: CM Omar Abdullah

·         Delhi Police arrests Al Falah University's chairman in forgery case

·         High court says EC cannot stop caste and religion rallies or deregister parties

·         Udhampur encounter ends with two Jaish militants killed in cave blast operation

·         'My Didi in Bengal...': Kamal Haasan extends support to Mamata's fight against SIR, slams voter deletion

·         Meet the scholars who will shape minority education in Uttarakhand after Madrasa Board abolition

·         Prominent Muslim leader ReyazulHaque Raju joins JD(U)

·         Himanta now invokes Mahatma Gandhi: Need ‘non-cooperation’ against ‘Miyas’

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Mideast

·         Israeli forces bulldozed part of war cemetery in Gaza containing Allied graves, satellite images show

·         White House confirms US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman on Friday

·         US carries out strikes in Syria targeting Daesh, military says

·         Gaza health officials say strikes kill 24 after Israel says officer wounded

·         Iranian FM calls Qatari counterpart ahead of nuclear talks

·         Prosecutors indict 12 Israeli suspects in Gaza smuggling case

·         Jordan to host Yemeni prisoners exchange talks

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Arab World

·         Iranian foreign minister calls Saudi counterpart ahead of nuclear talks with US

·         Saudi Media Forum urges ethical coverage as crises redefine Arab journalism

·         Digital authority launches campaign to combat online misinformation

·         Rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea

·         Saudi FM receives Beninese counterpart in Riyadh

·         Saudi crown prince receives German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Riyadh

·         Saudi defence minister meets with Qatar emir

·         Saudi Reef has played key role in empowering rural communities, says spokesperson

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Europe

·         Russia willing to remove enriched uranium from Iran

·         Peace won’t save Ukraine: What comes after the war may be worse

·         NSW premier speaks with Muslim community after mosque receives second threatening letter

·         Charity box stolen from Nelson mosque in daytime theft

·         Police appeal after hate crime graffiti sprayed on Exeter Mosque

·         Young Muslim volunteers deliver 1.5 tonnes of food to charity

·         Rabitabank launches Mudaraba and Murabaha Islamic banking products in Azerbaijan

·         Ukraine treating ethnic Hungarians like ‘cannon fodder’ – Orban

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North America

·         Epstein asked Chomsky for advice over 'putrid' media coverage, files show

·         CAIR-NY Applauds Condemnation of Islamophobia by New York Congressman Tim Kennedy

·         CAIR-Pittsburgh Welcomes Charges in Rostraver Walmart Incident

·         CAIR-MN, Civil Rights Partners to Call for Accountability for the Killings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti After ICE Drawdown

·         CAIR Calls on Alabama Leaders to Repudiate Sen. Tuberville’s Latest Racist, Anti-Muslim Comments Targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar

·         Colorado to pay $245,000 to Muslim man forced to shave beard in prison

·         Houston-area school district pushes back on Gov. Abbott's order to halt Islamic Games

·         The US has accused the EU of censorship: Here’s how the bloc’s consensus machine works

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Africa

·         Epstein Emails Name Okonjo-Iweala, Emir Sanusi, Tony Blair, Others As Proposed Private Dinner Guests

·         ‘Pure Massacre’ – KwaraGovt Confirms Terrorists Killed 75 Over Islamic Doctrine

·         US, UN launch humanitarian fund with $700m for war-ravaged Sudan

·         Tinubu praises Muslims slaughtered by Boko Haram, sends soldiers to Kwara

·         Kano court reduces bail for Islamic cleric accused of forgery

·         Owode-Onirin Traders Urge Federal Government To Probe Market Demolition In Lagos

·         Coup Plot: Falana Faults FG, Says Suspects Can’t Face Court Martial

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Southeast Asia

·         Indonesia to play balancing role in Trump's Board of Peace

·         MITRA under KESUMA will continue safeguarding Indian Community Welfare – Ramanan

·         Indonesia, Algeria seek to boost Muslim tourism cooperation

·         ‘Just one study’: Perikatan MPs dismiss survey showing majority Malays back KL mayoral elections

·         MEF backs direct hiring of foreign workers, says move will cut costs and protect labour rights

·         Unilateral conversion of minors is constitutional, govt counsel argues in Indira Gandhi Suit

·         Hannah Yeoh outlines 5 key strategies to elevate Federal Territories in 2026

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South Asia

·         Meeting on Preservation of Cultural and Historical Heritage Held in Nimroz

·         Jamaat leader among 2 sued after fake ballot seal bust

·         Development Projects to Be Implemented at Islam Qala Customs

·         Road Reconstruction Project Launched in Kandahar

·         Cabinet Meeting Reviews Development Budget, Refugee Issues

·         Kabul Hosts Fourth Counter-Narcotics Working Group Under Doha Process

·         MoUs Worth $587,401 Signed to Support Returnees in Kabul, Balkh

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:       https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/uttarakhand-scraps-madarsa-board/d/138738

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Uttarakhand scraps Madarsa Board; Modern schools to replace traditional seminaries

Narendra Sethi

04 Feb 2026

Under the new mandate, students at Madrasas will no longer be restricted to religious studies.

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DEHRADUN: In a landmark shift in its education policy, the Uttarakhand government has officially abolished the Madarsa Board, replacing it with the newly constituted State Minority Education Authority.

Following the Governor’s assent, the State has moved to integrate traditional religious seminaries into the mainstream schooling system.

The transition comes after a Bill to dissolve the board was passed during the last assembly session.

According to Special Secretary Dr Parag MadhukarDhakate, the new regulations will come into effect from July 1, bringing all minority institutions under the umbrella of the State Minority Education Authority.

"The accreditation process for these institutions will now be handled directly by the Uttarakhand School Education Board," Dr Dhakate stated.

He confirmed that an 11-member body has been formed to oversee the transition, with Dr Surjit Singh Gandhi appointed as the Chairman.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami emphasised that the move is aimed at ensuring educational parity. "We had already decided that there should be equal pay for equal work, and the official order was issued yesterday. The path is clear; there is no ambiguity. We introduced this Bill to reform minority education and ensure uniform standards for all," Dhami said.

Under the new mandate, students at these institutions will no longer be restricted to religious studies.

The curriculum will now prioritise modern subjects, including Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and Computer Science. The government asserts that this shift will connect students to mainstream opportunities and end what it termed "appeasement politics."

However, the decision has sparked a sharp backlash from community representatives. Naem Ahmed Qureshi, President of the Uttarakhand Muslim SewaSanghtan, told TNIE that the move infringes upon constitutional rights.

"The minority education board formulated by the State government directly violates the provisions of the Constitution that empower minorities to administer their own educational institutions," Qureshi stated.

He further alleged that the move is an attempt to "defunct the madarsa culture" and "destroy the religious identity of Muslims" in the State.

"This draconian law is a step to snatch away the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and prevents students from pursuing Sharia jurisprudence," he claimed.

Despite the protests, the State government remains firm, maintaining that the integration into the Uttarakhand School Education Board is a necessary step toward the modernisation of the state's educational landscape.

The authority includes a diverse panel of experts, including Professor Rakesh Jain, Professor Gurmeet Singh, Dr Syed Ali, and retired IAS officer Chandrashekhar Bhatt.

Additionally, the Director General of School Education and the Director of Minority Welfare will serve as ex officio members.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2026/Feb/04/uttarakhand-scraps-madarsa-board-modern-schools-to-replace-traditional-seminaries

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How activists are bearing witness to the erasure of Palestinian communities in the West Bank

JONATHAN GORNALL

February 04, 2026

Whenever Israeli security forces intervene, Palestinians are usually arrested rather than settlers, residents say. (AFP)

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LONDON: Two years ago, a young independent activist known only to his 367,000 Instagram followers as “the.andrey.x” moved to the Palestinian community of RasEin Al-Auja in the West Bank.

His mission was to provide what he called a “24/7 protective presence in the village.” But, as his final post from the village attested on Jan. 27, his ultimate role was to bear witness to a sustained campaign of settler violence, ethnic cleansing and the destruction of a community.

Over the past two years, he wrote, “I watched the settlers invade the community 4-5 times every single day, often supported by the army and the police. I watched assault, theft, property destruction, arrests, every type of harassment imaginable.”

RasEin Al-Auja has joined the growing list of communities driven from their ancestral homeland by a campaign of terror, which appears to have the open support of Israel’s government.

“Today, the last houses were dismantled,” the young activist wrote. “RasEin Al-Auja is gone — 1,000 people ethnically cleansed by Israel. This is Zionism.”

Settlers began establishing outposts in the area more than two years ago. Since then, many Palestinian communities have left. RasEin Al-Auja held out longer than most.

One man who finally left the village with his family last week told Israeli newspaper Haaretz that it had become impossible for intimidated residents to graze their sheep and goats.

Villagers say hundreds of animals were stolen, water supplies and power lines sabotaged, armed gangs attacked people and property, land was plowed by settlers, and children playing outside their homes or returning from school were harassed by masked men.

When police or the security forces did intervene, it was usually to arrest Palestinians rather than their tormentors.

Activists such as “the.andrey.x” are not alone. Volunteers from the Israeli activist group “Looking the Occupation in the Eye” have stood by the villagers for the past two years, until last week the organization issued a statement headlined “The RasEin Al-Auja community gives in.”

It read: “After standing for two years against an onslaught by the settler leadership and its agents — who were aided by the inaction and support of the army and the police — the last large community in the southern Jordan Valley is giving up. Dozens of families are abandoning land they have lived on for 50 years.”

It added: “The establishment of outposts and daily incursions by youths and herds into the residential compounds of Palestinian residents, alongside the imposition of a siege on the village, broke the resilience of the herding community.”

RasEin Al-Auja is just one among countless villages that have been threatened and abandoned. On Jan. 27, settlers reportedly raided a series of communities in MasaferYatta, attacking residents and setting fire to homes.

The Palestinian Red Cross Society said its medics were pelted with stones when they tried to aid a man with a head wound and a teenage girl with a broken limb in the village of Khirbet Al-Fakhit.

According to Israeli human rights monitor B’Tselem, since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel triggered the war in Gaza, “military attacks and violence by settlers and the military in the West Bank have led to the displacement of Palestinians on a scale not seen since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967.”

By November last year, it said, at least 44 communities and more than 2,700 people had been driven out, and that tally continues to rise as settlers step up their campaign of intimidation and attacks in 2026.

“The Israeli government, with the help of its settler proxies, is carrying out ethnic cleansing in the West Bank territories,” Looking the Occupation in the Eye added in a statement.

“More and more outposts are being established in the heart of Palestinian communities deliberately, making the peaceful lives of marginalized communities impossible. Ethnic cleansing is a crime against humanity — and it is happening now.”

Around the world, people have been shocked into action on behalf of the Palestinians in the West Bank.

Some have found a way to translate their anger into action through schemes organized by Israeli organizations such as AchvatAmim, which, since 2014, has offered opportunities for concerned Jews to take part in “solidarity visits.”

“The program emerged from a recognition that many people — especially Jews from abroad — were seeking meaningful ways to engage with the reality on the ground beyond short visits, abstract advocacy or distant political debate,” said EllyOltersdorf, director of outreach and communications for AchvatAmim, which means “solidarity of nations.”

“There were many Israeli and Palestinian organizations doing excellent frontline work, but very few long-term educational frameworks for the international Jewish community that combined political analysis, sustained presence and accountable solidarity.”

Since 2014, several hundred people have taken part in programs ranging from “long-term immersives” lasting three to five months to shorter visits of three to six weeks.

Many participants are in their 20s and 30s, but the programs are not limited to young people and participants have ranged from university students to mid-career professionals, educators, artists and rabbis.

“What unites them,” said Oltersdorf, “is not age, but a willingness to learn, unlearn, and take political responsibility for their relationship to Israel-Palestine.”

The majority come from abroad, mainly North America, Europe and Australia, although up to 10 percent are from Israel. Not everyone who takes part is Jewish.

“While AchvatAmim’s programs are rooted in Jewish community and political responsibility — particularly given global Jewish relationships to Israel — the programs have never been exclusively Jewish,” said Oltersdorf.

“Participants have included people from Christian, Muslim and secular backgrounds, as well as people who do not identify religiously at all.

“What matters is not identity, but a shared commitment to liberation for all, accountability and learning from our Palestinian partners.

“At the same time, AchvatAmim is explicit that much of its work is about engaging Jews, especially diaspora Jews, with the realities carried out in their name. That focus is intentional, not exclusionary.”

Participants in AchvatAmim’s programs “typically arrive with a combination of moral urgency, political confusion and a desire for grounded engagement,” said Oltersdorf.

“Many feel disillusioned with mainstream narratives they were taught, frustrated by distant advocacy that feels disconnected from reality, or compelled by a sense that silence or neutrality is no longer possible.”

For Lila Macbeth, a 43-year-old craniosacral therapist from Minneapolis in the US, taking part in AchvatAmim’s recent three-week Winter Solidarity Visit program, organized in collaboration with Rabbis for Human Rights, was an opportunity to build on her two decades of pro-Palestinian activism, while at the same time learning more about her own faith.

“For the past 20 years, I had a commitment to never come to Israel, to not contribute to the violence that is the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza,” she said.

“Then recently I’ve really connected to Judaism as a very central part of my life. For the first time, I wanted to come here, feel the history and do some Jewish learning.

“But I knew that if I was going to come and be on this land, I really wanted to go to the West Bank and be a protective presence.”

AchvatAmim, she said, really helped her to “understand the history, understand the risks and understand how to show up respectfully as collaborators with Palestinians.”

Macbeth and her fellow volunteers toured Jerusalem, attended workshops on subjects including the Nakba, visited Lifta, the village near Jerusalem that has remained deserted since the Arab community was driven out by Israeli soldiers in 1948, and spent time with Palestinian communities in MasaferYatta and the Jordan Valley.

From the Palestinians she met, “I have experienced an overwhelming amount of gratitude and hospitality,” she said. “They wanted us to feel so welcome.”

She refuses to accept that the situation in the West Bank is hopeless.

“It feels so easy to think that it’s a lost cause. Even in the very short time that I’ve been in Israel, there have been some really big losses, there have been communities I have visited that have decided to pack up and leave their lands, which feels just tragic.

“But even in situations like that, so many of the Palestinians I’ve interacted with have expressed so much resilience and so much determination and dedication to the bigger fight. So who am I to be hopeless in the face of that?”

She was, she said, “absolutely devastated and heartbroken” when she heard about the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

“But in the very same moment, I knew with all certainty that what was going to happen to Palestinians in Gaza as retribution was going to be horrific. And it was so much more horrific than I could have imagined.”

Two years on, “the interesting thing about being here in Jerusalem and spending time in the West Bank over the past month, is that during the time when I was watching the news every day about what was happening in Gaza, I had no idea about the escalation of violence that was also happening in the West Bank, which I didn’t learn about until the last month.

Another first-timer on AchvatAmim’s recent three-week Winter Solidarity program was Andrea Burns, a 29-year-old tech worker from New York.

“I was looking to do on-the-ground work and some type of activism,” she said. “I wanted to take personal action on my values and my political beliefs. I’m based in the US, and it’s an understatement to say I’m frustrated about how my tax money is being spent supporting Israel militarily.”

The Jewish environment she grew up in was “pro-Israel, and there wasn’t a lot of education, either in school or in my family or circle of friends. When I was younger, Israel was just viewed positively as a state for the Jewish people.”

It was only when she started graduate school, in about 2018, that she began to learn more about the reality on the ground from international students.

“It was a learning process for me, finding out about the dynamics of the power imbalance, and opening my eyes to the occupation and the apartheid.”

Andrea had visited Israel before. Because she was not raised religiously and wanted to learn more about Judaism, in 2015 she went on a “birthright” visit — free, state- and donor-funded trips for Jews aged 18 to 26, designed to “ensure a vibrant future for the Jewish people by strengthening Jewish identity, Jewish communities, and connection with Israel,” which, she said, “in retrospect is kind of comical, given my current stance on things.”

During the program, “a lot of the time we spent there was just getting to know Palestinian people, seeing and participating in their daily life, getting to know the kids, and also hearing stories of continual settler harassment and violence from outposts that have been set up.”

One visit she made, to Umm Al-Khair in MasaferYatta, was especially poignant for her. A friend from New York had been in the village in July 2025 when a settler shot dead the popular Palestinian community leader and father of three OdehHadalin.

The killing happened when settlers reportedly drove a bulldozer into the village and one of them began firing a handgun.

Yinon Levi, a known extremist and founder of the illegal Meitarim Farm outpost, was placed under house arrest but released after three days when a court accepted his claim that he had acted in self-defense.

Levi had been sanctioned by the US under the Biden administration as a person “undermining peace, security and stability in the West Bank.” The sanctions on Levi, and dozens of other extremist settlers and related organizations, were removed in January last year.

“Many volunteers had spent time in the village and met Odeh over the years,” said Andrea.

“For me, being in the village and meeting his family, who I had learned so much about through friends, felt really special. It was really nice to be there and say, you know, ‘My friend says hi,’ like he was sending his love.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2631767/middle-east

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Abbas praises Saudi Arabia’s ‘honourable and unwavering stances’ on Palestinian cause

February 04, 2026

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (File/AFP)

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RIYADH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has praised the “honorable and unwavering stances” of both Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in supporting the Palestinian people’s rights to freedom and independence, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

He welcomed the joint statement issued at the conclusion of Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan’s visit to the Kingdom on Wednesday.

The statement affirmed the positions of the Kingdom and Turkiye regarding the Palestinian cause, the necessity of consolidating the ceasefire, ending the occupation of Gaza, and enabling the Palestinian Authority to resume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.

It also supported their backing for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2631751/saudi-arabia

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Leeds man destroyed copies of Quran at St James's Hospital and wrote 'kill Jews' in crayon on prison cell wall

04 Feb 2026

Ibhraim Iqbal, 36 of Leeds, was found guilty of two counts of religiously aggravated criminal damage and one further count of criminal damage at Leeds District Magistrates’ Court. | Iconic Media Group

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A Leeds man has been found guilty of throwing several copies of the Quran down a hospital toilet and writing ‘kill Jews’ in crayon on his cell wall.

Ibhraim Iqbal, 36, of Leeds, destroyed copies of the Muslim holy book in a prayer room at St James’s Hospital before writing the anti-Semitic message following his arrest.

He was found guilty of two counts of religiously aggravated criminal damage and one further count of criminal damage at Leeds District Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday).

Iqbal targeted a multi-faith room at St James’s Hospital, last November, smashing a framed Islamic scripture before defacing multiple Qurans, tearing out pages, setting them alight, and using them to block the sink and toilet.

He returned to the hospital two weeks later, on December 9, and deliberately stuffed miscellaneous items down the drains to cause a blockage. The following day, he attempted to access the multi-faith room again but found it locked due to the earlier damage. He was detained by hospital security and subsequently arrested by West Yorkshire Police.

Whilst in custody, Iqbal requested crayons and used them to write "kill Jews" on his cell wall.

Luke Hopkinson, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “Ibhraim Iqbal carried out a deliberate and sustained campaign of hatred, targeting both Muslim and Jewish communities with his actions.

“This comes at a time where our prosecutors are working on the highest ever number of hate crime cases referred to us by police.

"I hope today’s conviction demonstrates the CPS's commitment to tackling religiously aggravated hate crime, and reiterate how we will always seek to prosecute those who target others because of their faith where their conduct strays into criminality."

Iqbal will be sentenced at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Monday, February 16.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

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https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/crime/leeds-man-destroyed-copies-of-the-quran-and-wrote-kill-jews-on-wall-5503316

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Trump assassination attempt case: Man convicted in Florida golf course shooting case gets life in prison

Feb 4, 2026

A 59-year-old man was granted life sentence on Wednesday for attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at his Florida golf course just months before the 2024 US presidential election.

Ryan Routh was convicted in September of trying to kill Trump when he was still the Republican presidential candidate.

Reacting to this, Trump said, "This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him."

The incident took place in September 2024, when US Secret Service agents spotted Routh carrying a weapon near the golf course where Trump was playing. Agents chased him away from the area, and he was arrested shortly thereafter.

Prosecutors said Routh spent several weeks planning the attack before positioning himself in bushes and pointing a rifle toward the golf course on September 15, 2024, as the Republican presidential candidate was playing at his West Palm Beach country club.

During the trial, a Secret Service agent assigned to Trump’s security testified that he noticed Routh before Trump came into sight. According to the agent, Routh trained his rifle on him, prompting the agent to open fire. Routh then dropped the weapon and fled the scene without firing a shot.

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/trump-assassination-attempt-case-man-convicted-in-florida-golf-course-shooting-case-gets-life-in-prison/articleshowprint/127915795.cms

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Five Months After Writing Letter To District Head, Boko Haram Kills 170 In Kwara community

February 05, 2026

No fewer than 170 persons have been killed in Woro, a remote community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, following a brutal attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

The assault, which lasted several hours from Tuesday evening into the early hours of Wednesday, came about five months after the terrorists reportedly wrote to the district head of the community, informing him of their intention to visit Woro for preaching, residents and community leaders have said.

Residents told Premium Times that the gunmen stormed the village around 5pm on Tuesday, firing sporadically, setting houses ablaze and abducting an undisclosed number of women and children.

While earlier reports quoted a casualty figure of about 40, residents said the death toll rose significantly after a coordinated search operation.

A resident who spoke from hiding disclosed that a search-and-rescue team, escorted by soldiers and forest guards, counted at least 170 bodies by Wednesday afternoon.

“They counted 170 this afternoon,” the resident said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.

Among the victims was Salihu Ibrahim, a former students’ union leader of the Kwara State College of Nursing, Ilorin.

Another resident, who fled into a nearby forest, said the attackers razed houses, shops and the palace of the district head, Salihu Umar, who is currently missing.

“They also stole his Jeep and used it to transport some of the kidnapped victims into the forest,” the source said.

He added that many residents were still hiding in surrounding bushes as of Wednesday.

“We have been in the bush since yesterday. The gunfire continued until this morning,” he said.

Woro is located on the fringes of the Kainji National Park, a vast forest reserve spanning over 5,300 square kilometres, which has increasingly become a hideout for armed groups.

While Ansaru, locally known as Mamuda, has operated in the area since around 2020, Boko Haram fighters reportedly moved into the forest in July 2025.

A community leader in Kaiama, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that the terrorists had earlier sent a letter to the district head of Woro, informing him of their intention to visit the community.

The district head reportedly forwarded the letter to the Kwara State Emirate Council in Ilorin, which requested the deployment of soldiers to the area.

Although troops were initially deployed, they later withdrew after weeks without incident.

“The fighters later moved to Baburasa, a neighbouring community, where they preached about three weeks ago,” the source said.

“They even mentioned communities they planned to attack, but they did not mention Woro.”

The leader suggested that Woro may have been targeted because the district head alerted authorities.

“As of now, we do not know the whereabouts of the district head,” he added.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Kwara State Police Command were unsuccessful as of press time.

Similarly, the Nigerian Army had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

However, Al Jazeera reported that the police confirmed the attack and said military operatives had been deployed to the area, though casualty figures were not disclosed.

The Woro massacre comes barely one month after Boko Haram fighters attacked KasuwanDaji in Niger State, killing over 30 persons and abducting women and children.

The same faction was also linked to the abduction of over 300 students from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.

Security sources said the faction relocated to the Kainji axis following sustained military airstrikes and internal conflicts with bandit leader Dogo Gide, with whom it previously collaborated.

Source: naijanews.com

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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/02/05/five-months-after-writing-letter-to-district-head-boko-haram-kills-170-in-kwara-community/

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Pakatan Indian MPs urge police to block anti-Hindu temple rally over racial tension concerns

05 Feb 2026

By Syed JaymalZahiid

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — PakatanHarapan federal lawmakers have warned that allowing a rally calling for “illegal Hindu temples” planned this weekend could spark racial tension.

The MPs alleged that the gathering is primarily aimed at inciting hatred against the Indian community, and that its organisers have no interest in genuine dialogue to resolve grievances about temples built on private land.

At a press conference in Parliament, Jelutong MP RSN Rayer led calls for the authorities to block the rally, while stressing that the appeal for action is not intended to curtail free expression.

“We support freedom of speech. We also support the right to assemble. But at the same time, we believe that if an assembly could potentially threaten peace and unity, action must be taken by the police,” he said.

“This gathering, dubbed the anti-illegal temple gathering, is an event that can ignite many problems in our country. First, it can divide unity among our multiracial, multi-faith society and create polemics.”

One of the organisers of the rally is controversial preacher ZamriVinodh, who has led the campaign calling for the abolition of all Hindu temples allegedly built illegally. Zamri has been accused of making remarks deemed incendiary, particularly against the country’s ethnic Indian community.

Critics of the campaign also believe the movement is driven more by racism than genuine concerns about the regulation of houses of worship.

Many of the temples claimed to be “illegal” were mostly built on former plantation lands, long before the introduction of the National Land Code 1965. Malay Mail could not independently verify this information.

Rayer said Zamri’s reputation for making racially charged comments against the Indian community makes the gathering’s true motive suspect.

The Jelutong MP noted that there have been 894 police reports lodged by the public against the preacher, most calling for action against statements they considered inflammatory.

“So my question is, why has no action been taken against this Zamri to this day? Secondly, I’d like to ask the IGP not to allow Zamri to hold any kind of gatherings on February 7. If it is allowed, it risks igniting racial tension,” he said.

Organisers of the protest said the rally will take place this Saturday evening in the capital city.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/02/05/pakatanindian-mps-urge-police-to-block-anti-hindu-temple-rally-over-racial-tension-concerns/208115

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WHO Delivers Oxygen Supplies to 23 Hospitals in Kabul and 11 Provinces of Afghanistan

By Fidel Rahmati

February 5, 2026

The World Health Organization says new oxygen supplies delivered to hospitals across Afghanistan aim to improve patient safety and treatment services.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday, Febraury 5, it has delivered medical oxygen supplies to 12 hospitals in Kabul and facilities across 11 other provinces in Afghanistan.

WHO said the shipment is expected to strengthen patient safety and improve the quality of care in hospitals struggling with shortages of critical medical supplies.

According to the organization, the support was made possible through contributions from donors and partners, including UNITAID, to help health workers provide safer and more reliable services.

Many Afghanistan’s hospitals continue to face shortages of essential medical equipment, including oxygen, which is vital for treating respiratory patients and critically ill children.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that more than 14 million people in Afghanistan will require health assistance this year, highlighting the scale of need.

Meanwhile, UNICEF reports that around 3.7 million Afghan children suffer from acute malnutrition annually, placing additional pressure on the country’s already fragile healthcare system.

While the oxygen deliveries will ease immediate pressure on hospitals, aid agencies warn that continued international support is essential to stabilize Afghanistan’s healthcare system.

Source: khaama.com

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India

 

Asked To Play Peacemaker, Karnataka Hindu Man Beaten For 'Affair' With Muslim Woman, 4 arrested

Feb 05, 2026

A Hindu man was brutally assaulted in Karnataka's Koppal district on Tuesdy after he was suspected of being in a relationship with a Muslim woman. Venkatesh was allegedly attacked by a group of Muslim men who saw him at a bus stand with the woman and her mother, and assumed, wrongly it appears, he was having an affair with the daughter.

According to his police complaint, Azmeer and Afia, a married couple from Basapattana village, had a quarrel after which Afia left the house with her children.

Azmeer reportedly requested Venkatesh, a neighbour and a family friend, to talk to Afia and persuade her to return. Acting on that request, Venkatesh went to the bus stand.

Afia and her children, the daughter and a son, were planning to go to her mother's home.

However, a group of Muslim men noticed Venkatesh with Afia and her children, and allegedly misunderstood the situation. They launched a violent attack against him.

Locals who knew the truth pleaded with them, pointing out Venkatesh was from the same village and had no ill intent. But the attackers allegedly continued to beat him severely.

The cops have filed a case against Azmeer, Khajafeer, Indrawali, and other men. Cops also confirmed the family, i.e., Azmeer, Afia, and the children, and Venkatesh had known each other for 15 years.

However, following the registration of the case, several people from the Muslim community gathered at the police station and created a ruckus, demanding that a counter-complaint be registered against Venkatesh as well.

This led to heated arguments outside the station; visuals showed one man, in a blue t-shirt wagging his finger threateningly at a policeman.

The police are continuing their investigation.

Source: ndtv.com

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https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/karnataka-news-koppal-news-hindu-man-beaten-by-muslim-youth-over-alleged-relationshiop-with-muslim-woman-10949530

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Two officials from BMC’s licensing department caught red-handed while accepting bribe of Rs 35,000 from cafe shop owner in Mumbai

Feb 5, 2026

Mumbai: Two inspectors attached to the licensing department of G North ward of BMC were caught by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 35,000 from a cafe shop owner.

The arrested inspector has been identified as KavitaDhanawade and senior inspector Sayyed Imam. Duo have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption act.

The complainant, a café owner, alleged that civic officials had informed him that the glow sign board installed at his shop was unauthorised and warned that legal action would be initiated if a fine of Rs 1.19 lakh was not paid immediately. To avoid legal action, Dhanawade and Imam allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 40,000 from the complainant and instructed him to arrange the amount immediately.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the ACB and lodged a formal complaint. Following this, the ACB conducted a verification in the presence of panch witnesses, during which the demand for the bribe was confirmed. During negotiations, the accused officials allegedly agreed to accept a reduced amount of Rs 35,000. During the trap, Dhanawade was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount from the complainant. After receiving the money, she reportedly contacted Imam and informed him about the acceptance of the bribe, to which he allegedly consented.

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/two-officials-from-bmcs-licensing-department-caught-red-handed-while-accepting-bribe-of-rs-35000-from-cafe-shop-owner-in-mumbai/articleshowprint/127916652.cms

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Time has come to reopen closed tourist destinations in J&K: CM Omar Abdullah

FayazWani

05 Feb 2026

SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the time had come to reopen tourist destinations in Jammu and Kashmir that were closed following last year’s terror attack in Pahalgam.

“Many tourist areas are still closed in J&K post Pahalgam attack. In my opinion, time has come to reopen them again,” Omar told the Legislative Assembly in Jammu today.

“We are in touch with the Government of India and talks in this regard are going on. The Home Minister is visiting J&K and I will take up this issue of closure of some tourist destinations with him when I meet him,” he said.

Following the April 22, 2025 terror attack at the Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, in which 25 tourists and a local ponywala were killed, the authorities had, as a precautionary measure, closed 48 tourist destinations across the Valley for a security audit.

With an improvement in the security situation, several of these destinations were subsequently reopened, though many continue to remain shut.

Tourism stakeholders have been demanding the reopening of all tourist destinations that were closed after the Pahalgam attack, saying it is necessary to restore tourist confidence and revive the sector.

Last month, the authorities imposed a ban on trekking, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities in the high altitude and forest areas of Margan Top, Chauhar Nag and Sinthan Top in south Kashmir, as well as the upper forest areas of Tangmarg in north Kashmir.

Local residents were directed to inform the police before venturing into these areas, citing ongoing security movement. Non local tourists were strictly prohibited from entering the upper forest zones.

The restrictions were imposed amid a major winter operation launched by security forces in the upper reaches and dense forest areas of the Jammu region to track down militants using natural caves as hideouts.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2026/Feb/05/time-has-come-to-reopen-closed-tourist-destinations-in-jk-cm-omar-abdullah

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Delhi Police arrests Al Falah University's chairman in forgery case

05 Feb 2026

NEW DELHI: The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested Javad Ahmad Siddiqui, chairman of the Al Falah University, following two FIRs registered on a complaint by the University Grants Commission (UGC) after the Delhi Blast, an official said.

The action came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had initiated proceedings in the matter.

The Crime Branch registered the cases over alleged irregularities and forgery related to the functioning of the private university after the blast near the Red Fort.

Siddiqui was produced before a local court, which granted four days of police custody for further questioning, the officer added. Further details awaited.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2026/Feb/05/delhi-police-arrests-al-falah-universitys-chairman-in-forgery-case

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High court says EC cannot stop caste and religion rallies or deregister parties

Piyush Srivastava

05.02.26

The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Tuesday said the Election Commission (EC) didn’t have the power to prevent religion and caste-based rallies or cancel the registration of political parties that organise them.

A division bench of Justices Rajan Roy and A.K. Chaudhary delivered the verdict while disposing of a public interest litigation filed in 2013 by Motilal Yadav, which had sought directions to curb caste-based rallies.

The bench said barring such rallies fell within the legislature’s jurisdiction.

“The EC can’t ban a political party if they hold religion or caste-based rallies,” the bench said while hearing Yadav’s PIL, which had requested action against parties organising such rallies under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

In its judgment, the bench observed that Section 8A of the Representation of the People Act is the only provision that permits disqualification in cases of electoral malpractice. It clarified that there is no provision in the existing law allowing a pre-emptive ban on a political party or an individual, and any such power can be conferred only by Parliament.

“There is only one rule available with the EC to disqualify a party or person and that is limited to the violation of the model code of conduct. Any further decision to ban a party for holding caste or religious rallies can be taken by the legislature only and not by the court. They have the right to enact a law against it,” the bench said.

Yadav had argued that the rallies also contravened an administrative order issued by the Uttar Pradesh government on September 21, 2025, banning caste-based political rallies on the ground that they harmed social unity.

The court said the petitioner could file a writ petition on how political parties had violated the order.

Caste-based political rallies are mostly organised by parties that derive their support from caste groups and have gained legitimacy after aligning with national parties.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/allahabad-high-court-says-ec-lacks-power-to-ban-caste-and-religion-rallies-in-polls-prnt/cid/2145853

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Udhampur encounter ends with two Jaish militants killed in cave blast operation

Muzaffar Raina

05.02.26

Security forces on Wednesday killed two Jaish-e-Mohammed militants hiding in a cave in Udhampur district of Jammu, blowing up its entrance with a large quantity of explosives.

Several powerful blasts ripped through the forest before the forces launched the final assault.

The operation to flush out the militants was launched on Tuesday after security forces received inputs about their presence.

The militants made a desperate attempt to escape but were killed after reinforcements from paratroopers and a dog squad were rushed to the spot. Drones helped in pinpointing the location. Officials identified the deceased militants as Rubani alias Abu Mavia, a Jaish commander active in the area for several years.

Later in the evening, the army achieved success in the fortnight-long operation in Jammu’s Kishtwar. One terrorist was killed and one or two militants are at large.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/udhampur-encounter-kills-jaish-militants-as-jammu-anti-terror-operations-intensify-prnt/cid/2145852

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'My Didi in Bengal...': Kamal Haasan extends support to Mamata's fight against SIR, slams voter deletion

05 Feb 2026

Actor-turned politician and MakkalNeedhiMaiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan on Wednesday, in his maiden speech at the Rajya Sabha, expressed solidarity with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her fight against the Election Commission regarding the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Speaking at the Upper House, Kamal Haasan called the deletion of votes through SIR a disease plaguing the country and said the ECI is facilitating its spread.

Haasan called Bihar the "land of living dead" in apparent reference to irregularities in the final voter list after SIR, in which names of voters who were alive were deleted, citing death.

"Bihar has become the land of the living dead. We don't want this disease to spread across the country. My Didi from Bengal also lamented the same at the ECI office...she is litigating it in the Supreme Court as we speak now. ECI is surely facilitating the spread of this disease," he said.

Expressing concern regarding the deletion of voters in Tamil Nadu, he said, there could soon be "one crore living dead on paper."

Over 97 lakh voters were deleted from the draft electoral rolls published after the initial phase of SIR in TN in December last year. Several voters, deleted from the list after being branded dead, were found to be alive. Some of these voters have spoken to TNIE and expressed shock over their names being deleted from the electoral rolls.

The veteran actor demanded the "living dead to be resurrected" and urged action to prevent the "impending disaster."

"I cannot pray to God to alleviate this impending disaster. My rationalist mind has already rejected the idea years ago. I won't pray to any government either. I'm demanding that the living dead be resurrected. Not through miracles.. we cannot wait for miracles, our lives are short. Act now," he said.

Haasan also slammed the ECI for deleting voters from the electoral rolls for minor spelling mistakes in their entries.

"Spelling mistakes are a curse only for languages, and modern literature forgives these in favour of content, as does the internet, but the Election Commission obviously does not. EC doesn’t mean English Coaches," he said.

Stressing that no government will hold power permanently, he said, "This democratic juggernaut will roll over differences, but should never roll over people. We will not allow it. Nobody is immortal. No government can or should aim for permanency. No government in the history of this world has achieved it yet, and none ever will. This government also falls under the universal political unwritten law.”

Kamal Haasan's comments came amid relentless protests by opposition parties, including the ruling DravidaMunnetraKazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu and Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal against the SIR, alleging arbitrariness and mass disenfranchisement of voters, especially those from marginalised communities.

Upping the ante, Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday personally appeared before the apex court to argue her case against the conduct of SIR in Bengal.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2026/Feb/05/my-didi-in-bengal-kamal-haasan-extends-support-to-mamatas-fight-against-sir-slams-voter-deletion

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Meet the scholars who will shape minority education in Uttarakhand after Madrasa Board abolition

Aiswarya Raj

Feb 4, 2026

Professors of Economics, Psychology, Law, and a retired English teacher from Kumaun University are among the members of the newly established Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education (USAME) set up under the new Minority Education Act, 2025.

Minority Welfare Secretary Parag MadhukarDhakate said that after the abolition of the Madrasa Board, the USAME will bring all minority institutions under its umbrella starting July this year and set a syllabus for all such institutions.

Dhakate said that scholars and professors have been nominated to the Authority, which will determine the academic curriculum for minority students. Educationists from all minority communities have been included in it.

The Act, which came on the heels of a crackdown on hundreds of “illegal” madrasas in the state, does away with the Madrasa Board and brings madrasas, as well as education institutions run by Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians, under the newly established USAME with 12 members. The Madrasa Board comprised 13 members, nine of whom were Muslims or belonged to Muslim institutions. Apart from subjects permitted and prescribed by the Board of School Education, the Bill says that minority institutions can teach additional subjects specific to their religion, provided they “conform to the standards, quality and content laid down by the Authority”.

Dr Surjit Singh Gandhi, a professor of Economics at the BSM PG College in Roorkee, has been appointed as chairperson, while Prof Rakesh Jain, who teaches Psychology at the GurukulKangri Deemed to be University in Haridwar, Dr Syed Ali Hamid, a retired professor from Kumaun University, Prof Pema Tenzin from Chamoli, Dr Elba Mandrelle from Bageshwar, Prof RobinaAman from Almora’sSoban Singh Jeena University, and Prof Gurmeet Singh from KedarNathGirdhari Lal Khatri (PG) College, Moradabad have been made members. Social worker RajendraBisht and Chandrashekhar Bhatt have also been included as members. The Director of Higher Education, the Director of the State Council of Educational Research, and the Director of Minority Welfare will also be members of the Authority.

Chairman-elect Dr Surjit Singh Gandhi has been working at BSM College as an Associate Professor at the Economics department, which is affiliated with the HNB Central University, since 2008. Professor Rakesh Jain has 35 years of experience in academia and is currently at GurukulKangri University. He has been a nodal officer for the implementation of the National Education Policy at the university and has served as the controller of examinations. He has a PhD in Psychology and has published 84 papers.

Dr Syed Ali Hamid retired as Professor of English from Kumaun University Campus, Almora, and has published collections of poems and several translations of poetry from English into Urdu/Hindi. He was awarded by the UP Urdu Academy in 1990 for his translation of Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea into Urdu.

Other members include Dr Elba Mandrelle, an assistant professor at the Department of English at Swargiya Chandra Singh Shahi Government Post Graduate College, Kapkote in Bageshwar. She specialises in Indian English and Post-Colonial Literature, along with cultural studies. Dr RobinaAman, the head of the Chemistry Department at Soban Singh Jeena University, Almora, has 30 years of experience in teaching and two books and 17 research papers to her name. Professor Gurmeet Singh has been teaching Law for 25 years at KedarNathGirdhari Lal Khatri (PG) College, Moradabad.

With the repeal of the Madrasa Board, madrasas recognised under the Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016, and the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019, will have to be re-recognised for the 2025-26 academic session.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/meet-the-scholars-who-will-shape-minority-education-in-uttarakhand-after-madrasa-board-abolition-10512857/

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Prominent Muslim leader ReyazulHaque Raju joins JD(U)

Ramashankar

04 Feb 2026

PATNA: Prominent Muslim leader, ReyazulHaque Raju, joined the JD(U) party in the presence of top leaders, including State president UmeshKushwaha.

Raju took membership of the JD (U) in the presence of state JD (U) president UmeshKushwaha, ministers Shravan Kumar and Amarendra Kumar Pandey, and JD (U) MLC Khalid Anwar.

Raju, a former MLA, comes from Gopalganj, the home district of RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad. The joining of Raju in JD (U) is seen as the party’s game plan to expand its support base among Muslims at a time when it is believed that a section of minority voters is impressed by Nitish's initiatives for their welfare and development during his 20 years of rule.

Raju started his political career in 1988 by joining the Youth Congress.

In 1990, he joined RJD and remained associated with it for about 35 years before rebelling against the party after he was denied a ticket in the last assembly election from Barauli in Gopalganj district.

He unsuccessfully contested the election on the BSP ticket. He also played an important role in the RJD’s organisation and also served as the district president for about 17 years.

In February 2005, he was elected MLA for the first time from the Gopalganj assembly constituency. He is considered to have a strong command over Muslim voters in the Saran belt and so with his joining, JD (U) is expected to gain electorally in Gopalganj and the surrounding areas.

After joining JD (U), Raju alleged, “The RJD has now become a party of capitalists. Nothing happens there without bribes. I couldn't remain in such a party.”

JD (U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad claimed that it was just a beginning as many leaders from RJD and other parties would join his party during the ongoing Assembly's Budget itself.

He alleged that Muslim leaders from RJD were particularly annoyed with the party as the influence of corporate culture and money power was growing in the party.

He claimed that several prominent leaders of RJD would desert the party as they were unhappy with party’s top leadership.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2026/Feb/04/prominent-muslim-leader-reyazul-haque-raju-joins-jdu

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Himanta now invokes Mahatma Gandhi: Need ‘non-cooperation’ against ‘Miyas’

SukritaBaruah

Feb 5, 2026

Continuing his statements against Bengali-origin Muslims, whom he alleges to have illegally arrived from Bangladesh, Assam Chief Minister HimantaBiswaSarma on Wednesday cited Mahatma Gandhi, saying that “non-cooperation” and “civil disobedience” were ways to create an environment “in which they cannot stay in Assam”.

Speaking at the sidelines of an event in Sivasagar district, he said, “Every day, we expel 20 or 30 of them. But we can’t line them up, put them in a train and send them to Bangladesh… Instead of us sending them, there should be arrangements for them to go themselves. Now, we have done evictions on 1.5 lakh bighas of land. They will not get land, so they will have to leave Assam and go…”

“My idea is create an atmosphere in which they cannot stay in Assam. Don’t give them land, don’t give them vehicles, don’t give them rickshaws, don’t give them thelas (carts). Then, the Bangladeshis will leave themselves… Every day, 20-25 people are being sent to Bangladesh; no one has the courage to go to court,” he said.

He said the policy is for “pushing back” people to Bangladesh. “And [for] those who are still inside, create such a system that they are unable to stay inside. This is called civil disobedience of Mahatma Gandhi, non-cooperation. Mahatma Gandhi taught us two things: non-cooperation and civil disobedience. When the Assamese people do non-cooperation and civil disobedience, then they will go away by themselves. Before getting on a rickshaw, think about whose rickshaw you are getting on.”

He then called on making a distinction between “Miyas”, who he said are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, and Muslims.

“My system is civil disobedience and non-cooperation. Do not give shelter to Miyas if they are Bangladeshi. Learn the distinction between Miya and Muslim. In the name of Miya, don’t harass muslims; in the name of Muslims, don’t give protection to Miyas. And we should not keep any association with Miyas who come from Bangladesh,” he said.

Congress takes on CM Himanta

The statements came on the same day in which the Congress party took on the Chief Minister by launching a campaign alleging “land grabbing” across the state by him and his family.

Within hours of the allegations, Sarma said he would initiate civil and criminal defamation proceedings against Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi, Jitendra Singh Alwar, BhupeshBaghel and DebabrataSaikia.

The Congress took on Sarma ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections with the campaign titled, “Who is HBS?”

The campaign was launched at a press conference on Wednesday, led by Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, former Chhattisgarh CM and election observer BhupeshBaghel, and AICC General Secretary in charge of Assam Jitendra Singh. It was also attended by the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, DebabrataSaikia, and MPs PradyutBordoloi and Rakibul Hussain.

Releasing a video and pamphlet on this campaign, Gogoi said, “This shows how ill-manners and arrogance have entered Assam’s politics in his time; how family business and land grabbing have been taking place; how he is known as the most corrupt Chief Minister in the country, his politics of lies… misgovernance while he is trying to portray himself as a false Hindu leader.”

In the press conference, Gogoi said the party is “investigating land-grabbing” by the Chief Minister and alleged that it has found “12,000 bighas of land have been grabbed in the name of his family members in different parts of the state in violation of rules”.

Launching a website called ‘Who is HBS’, he said, “Today we are investigating through our internal team, speaking to the public, to find out how many bighas of land are in the name of various members of their family. But we still do not know the full extent of it. So, we have started a website… If you have any information, video, or complaint about property bought by HimantaBiswaSarma in your area, go to the website and submit it there. We will take that, and we will go ourselves and look into it. We will investigate this as part of the people.”

However, within an hour of this, the website was not operational, which the Assam Congress attributed to an “attempt to hack” the website and said a technical team was working on restoring it. The party also released a phone number for people to make such “complaints”.

Within hours of this press conference, Sarma reacted, calling the allegations “false, malicious and defamatory”.

“I am initiating civil and criminal defamation proceedings on February 9 against JitendraAlwar, BhupeshBaghel, Gaurav Gogoi and DebabrataSaikia for making false, malicious and defamatory statements against me in today’s press conference. The era of hit-and-run politics is over. If they have even an ounce of courage or evidence, let them prove every allegation before a court of law. I will not be intimidated by propaganda, coordinated slander, or political theatrics of so-called slaves of the Gandhi family,” he said.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/himanta-now-invokes-mahatma-gandhi-need-non-cooperation-against-miyas-10514231/

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Mideast

Israeli forces bulldozed part of war cemetery in Gaza containing Allied graves, satellite images show

February 04, 2026

GAZA CITY: Israeli forces bulldozed part of a Gaza cemetery containing the graves of British, Australian and other Allied soldiers killed during the First and Second World Wars, according to satellite imagery and witness testimony.

Satellite images of the Gaza War Cemetery at Al-Tuffah, in eastern Gaza City, reveal extensive earthworks in the southern corner of the graveyard. Rows of gravestones have been removed, topsoil is churned up and a large berm of piled earth cuts through the affected area. The damage appears consistent with the use of heavy machinery.

The destruction was not visible on satellite images from March last year but appears clearly in photographs taken on Aug. 8 and Dec. 13.

While vegetation has regrown across much of the cemetery, certain sections remain bare, with mounds of sand and disturbed soil marking the area where graves once lay.

EssamJaradah, former caretaker of the cemetery, said bulldozing took place outside and inside the cemetery walls.

“Two bulldozing operations took place at the cemetery,” he said. “The first bulldozing occurred outside the cemetery walls, extending approximately 12 meters around all sides of the cemetery. These areas were entirely planted with olive trees.

“Later on, an area of slightly less than 1 dunum (1,000 sq. meters) was bulldozed inside the cemetery walls, specifically in the corner of the cemetery, which contains graves of Australian soldiers.

“The bulldozing covered the area from the bench where foreign visitors used to sit, up to the memorial monument. Bulldozers also created sand mounds that were used as earth barriers.”

Jaradah said he discovered the damage after Israeli forces withdrew from the area in late April or early May last year.

After being shown the satellite imagery, the Israeli army said it had taken “defensive measures” during active combat operations.

“At the relevant time, the area in question was an active combat zone,” a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said.

“During IDF operations in the area, terrorists attempted to attack IDF troops and took cover in structures close to the cemetery. In response, to ensure the safety of IDF troops operating on the ground, operational measures were taken in the area to neutralize identified threats.

“We emphasize that underground terrorist infrastructure was identified within the cemetery and in its surrounding area, which the IDF located and dismantled. IDF activity in sensitive areas is approved by senior ranks in the army and handled with the required sensitivity needed.”

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which maintains the cemetery, said in December that there had been serious damage at the site.

“As a result of the conflict, the cemetery has suffered extensive damage to headstones, memorials, boundary walls, staff facilities and storage areas,” it said.

It confirmed that a memorial to the British army’s 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division had been damaged, as well as an Indian UN memorial, and Hindu, Muslim and Turkish sections of the cemetery.

The satellite images suggest the destruction is even more widespread; two sections containing more than 100 Second World War graves, mostly of Australian soldiers alongside British and Polish service personnel, appear to have been flattened, along with four sections of First World War graves that Commonwealth War Graves Commission records show are almost entirely those of British troops.

Many of those buried there served in Palestine during the British mandate period, some of them stationed in field hospitals.

A spokesperson for the Royal British Legion said: “We are saddened to hear that graves of British and Allied personnel who bravely served in the First and Second World Wars have been damaged. War graves honor the memory of every member of the armed forces who has made the ultimate sacrifice and deserve to be treated with the utmost respect.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2631776/middle-east

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White House confirms US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman on Friday

February 04, 2026

DUBAI/WASHINGTON: The United States will hold nuclear talks with Iran on Friday in Oman, a White House official said, as tensions between the countries remain high following Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.

The US confirmation on Wednesday came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said the meeting was due to be held in Muscat.

Officials had said earlier this week that it would likely happen in Turkey.

The announcement by Araghchi on Wednesday came after hours of indications that the anticipated talks were faltering over changes in the format and content of the talks. US

Earlier Wednesday, a regional official said Iran was seeking a “different” type of meeting than that what had been proposed by Turkiye, one focused exclusively on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, with participation limited to Iran and the United States.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

The Trump administration confirmed the US will take part in high-level talks with Iran in Oman instead of Turkiye as originally planned, according to a White House official.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that several Arab and Muslim leaders urged the Trump administration on Wednesday not to walk away from talks even as Iranian officials pressed to narrow the scope of talks and change the venue for the negotiations.

The official added that the White House remains “very skeptical” that the talks will be successful but has agreed to go along with the change in plans out of respect for allies in the region.

Tensions between the countries spiked after Trump suggested the US might use force against Iran in response to the crackdown on protesters. Trump also has been pushing Tehran for a deal to constrain its nuclear program.

Rubio hopes talks will go beyond nuclear ones

Iran’s reformist President MasoudPezeshkian on Tuesday said he had instructed the foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the US, in the first clear sign from Tehran it wants to try to negotiate. That signaled the move is supported by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state and previously dismissed any negotiations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US hoped to discuss a number of concerns beyond the nuclear issue, including discussions on Iran’s ballistic missiles, support for proxy networks across the region and the “treatment of their own people.”

“The leadership of Iran at the clerical level does not reflect the people of Iran. I know of no other country where there’s a bigger difference between the people who lead the country and the people who live there,” he told reporters.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2631803/middle-east

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US carries out strikes in Syria targeting Daesh, military says

February 04, 2026

WASHINGTON: US Central Command said on Wednesday that it carried out five ⁠strikes against multiple Daesh targets in Syria, including ⁠a weapons storage facilities with 50 precision munitions.

The strikes were carried out between Jan. ⁠27 and Feb. 2, it said.

Source: arabnews.com

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Gaza health officials say strikes kill 24 after Israel says officer wounded

February 05, 2026

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gazan health officials said Israeli air strikes on Wednesday killed 24 people, with Israel’s military saying the attacks were in response to one of its officers being wounded by enemy gunfire.

Despite an ongoing US-brokered truce entering its second phase last month, violence has continued in the Gaza Strip, with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of breaching the agreement.

The latest bloodshed came after Israel partly reopened the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the only gateway to the Palestinian territory that does not pass through Israel.

The Gazan health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority, said that 21 people were killed, including three children, in a series of strikes, with at least 38 others wounded.

The territory’s civil defense agency said that two more people were killed and eight injured in a strike on a tent in the center of the Strip, and another person was killed in a strike that hit a group of civilians west of Gaza City.

The Israeli military said it had launched strikes after “terrorists opened fire on troops” Wednesday, seriously wounding an officer.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was “outraged” by the killing of an on-duty paramedic, Hussein Hassan Hussein Al-Samiri, in a bombardment in the southern Al-Mawasi area.

The Israeli military said one strike in southern Gaza had targeted a Hamas platoon commander named Bilal Abu Assi who led an assault on a kibbutz during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war.

It added it was aware of claims that “several uninvolved civilians, including a medical staff member, were hit in the strike” and that it had taken steps “to mitigate harm to civilians as much as possible.”

The military said its strikes had also killed Ali Raziana, whom it described as the commander of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad’s northern Gaza brigade, as well as Hamas’s Muhammad Issam Hassan Al-Habil, accused of killing an Israeli soldier, Noa Marciano, who was taken hostage on October 7.

In Gaza City, Abu Mohammed Haboush said “we were sleeping when suddenly shells and gunfire rained down on us.”

“Young children were martyred, my son and my nephew were among the dead. We lost many young men,” he said.

Shortage of medical aid

AFP images showed mourners offering prayers in the compound of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, where several bodies wrapped in white shrouds were laid out.

Three bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital after Israeli strikes hit homes and tents housing displaced Palestinians in the southern Khan Yunis area, the civil defense agency said.

Fourteen more bodies were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, its director Mohamed Abu Salmiya said in a statement.

“We also received dozens of wounded. The situation is extremely difficult in the hospitals of the Gaza Strip due to the severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies,” Abu Salmiya said.

Israel scrutinizes all aid coming into besieged Gaza.

Israel on Monday allowed the reopening of the Rafah crossing, reportedly following US pressure, but limited passage to patients and their travel companions.

On Tuesday, 45 people crossed into Egypt and 42 entered the territory, a source at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said.

‘My homeland’

Relatives of those returning from Egypt screamed in joy, hugging and crying.

“I am so happy to be back with my husband, my children, my family, my loved ones and, of course, my homeland,” FarizaBarabakh, who returned that day, told AFP.

“It’s an indescribable feeling, thank God. What can I say? My two young children didn’t recognize me, but thank God. I hope it will be alright,” Yusef Abu Fahma, another returnee, told AFP.

Gaza’s health ministry says at least 556 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, while the Israeli military says four of its soldiers have been killed over the same period.

Media restrictions and limited access in Gaza have prevented AFP from independently verifying casualty figures or freely covering the fighting.

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Iranian FM calls Qatari counterpart ahead of nuclear talks

February 04, 2026

LONDON: Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a telephone call from his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Wednesday.

The call focused on deescalation efforts in the region, according to Qatar News Agency.

Sheikh Mohammed reiterated Qatar’s support for all efforts to reduce tensions and pursue peaceful solutions that enhance regional security and stability, QNA reported.

He highlighted the importance of collective action to protect the region’s people from the consequences of escalation and to pursue diplomatic solutions.

Regional powers have pushed for talks, scheduled for Friday in Oman, between Iran and the US to reach an agreement regarding Tehran’s nuclear program and prevent another escalation in the region.

Qatar and Iran share a maritime border in the Arab Gulf and the world’s largest natural gas field, the South Pars/North Dome Field.

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Prosecutors indict 12 Israeli suspects in Gaza smuggling case

February 04, 2026

JERUSALEM: Prosecutors on Wednesday filed charges against 12 Israeli suspects including reservist soldiers for offenses including “assisting the enemy in wartime,” over the alleged smuggling of prohibited goods into war-shattered Gaza.

Israel controls the entry of all goods and people into the besieged Palestinian territory, where humanitarian conditions remain dire despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which came into effect on October 10.

A Justice Ministry statement said the smuggled goods were worth millions of Israeli shekels and included cartons of cigarettes, iPhones, batteries, communication cables, car parts and more.

It described the operation as a “serious case of organized, systematic, and sophisticated smuggling of various goods into the Gaza Strip for profit,” which began in the summer of 2025, when war was still raging in Gaza.

The Justice Ministry statement said charges had been filed against 12 individuals and one company.

A joint statement from the police and Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency confirmed they had “arrested several Israeli citizens and Gaza Strip residents who smuggled goods prohibited from entering the Gaza Strip.”

It said those arrested included reservists in the Israeli military.

The statement added that the suspects had been “willfully ignoring the direct contribution of this activity to the strengthening of terrorist organizations in the Strip,” notably Hamas.

“This morning (Wednesday), the Southern District Prosecutor’s Office filed indictments against 12 of the suspects for offenses including assisting the enemy in wartime, performing actions with property for terrorist purposes, obtaining something by fraud under aggravated circumstances, bribery offenses, and economic offenses,” it added.

Israeli media reported that the brother of Israel’s Shin Bet chief, David Zini, was allegedly linked to smuggling cigarettes into Gaza.

Reports said that Bezalel Zini was expected to be indicted on Thursday.

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Jordan to host Yemeni prisoners exchange talks

February 04, 2026

LONDON: Jordan is hosting the committee that will discuss the terms for implementing the agreement to exchange prisoners and detainees in Yemen this week.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that talks will be held under UN auspices in Amman from Feb. 5 to 19.

The ministry’s spokesman, Fouad Al-Magali, emphasized Jordan’s support for UN and international efforts to achieve peace and stability in Yemen, according to Petra news agency.

In December, the Yemeni government and the Houthi group agreed to exchange 2,900 prisoners, including Saudi and Sudanese nationals, in the largest exchange since the beginning of the war in 2014.

MajedFadhail, the spokesman for the Yemeni government delegation involved in the prisoner swap talks, confirmed that this round of direct negotiations aims to finalize the names of the prisoners.

He emphasized the Yemeni government’s commitment to releasing all detainees without discrimination.

“(We are) hoping that the other party will deal with the same seriousness and that no obstacles will be placed in the way of implementing the agreement,” he wrote on X, in reference to the Houthi delegation.

Oman hosted the last round of talks between the two warring sides in December.

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Arab World

 

Iranian foreign minister calls Saudi counterpart ahead of nuclear talks with US

February 05, 2026

LONDON: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a telephone call from his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Wednesday ahead of critical nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

They discussed the importance of resolving differences through dialogue and diplomacy, as well as efforts to maintain the security and stability of the region, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Regional powers had pushed for the talks, scheduled for Friday in Oman, between Iran and the US in an attempt to reach an agreement regarding Tehran’s nuclear program and prevent another escalation in the region.

In a message confirming the talks, posted on social media platform X on Wednesday, Araghchi wrote: “Nuclear talks with the United States are scheduled to be held in Muscat on about 10 a.m. Friday. I’m grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements.”

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Saudi Media Forum urges ethical coverage as crises redefine Arab journalism

HAJJAR ALQUSAYER

February 04, 2026

RIYADH: Arab media was born in crisis and shaped by conflict rather than stability, Malik Al-Rougi, general manager of Thaqafeyah Channel, said during the Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh on Wednesday.

Al-Rougi was speaking during a panel titled “Media and Crises: The Battle for Awareness and the Challenges of Responsible Coverage,” which examined how news organizations across the region navigated credibility and professional standards amid fast-moving regional developments.

“Today, when you build a media organization and invest in it for many years, a single crisis can destroy it,” he said.

Referring to recent events, Al-Rougi said that he had witnessed news channels whose credibility “collapsed overnight.”

“In journalistic and political terms, this is not a process of news production. It is a process of propaganda production,” he said. “The damage caused by such a post … is enormous for an institution in which millions, perhaps billions, have been invested.”

When a media outlet shifts from professionalism and credibility toward “propaganda,” he added, it moves away from its core role.

“A crisis can work for you or against you,” Al-Rougi added. “When, in the heart of a crisis, you demonstrate high credibility and composure, you move light-years ahead. When you fail to adhere to ethical standards, you lose light-years as well.”

Abdullah Al-Assaf, professor of political media studies at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, said that in many crises across the Arab world, agendas and directives had often prevailed over professionalism.

“Credibility was buried,” he added.

Hasan Al-Mustafa, writer and researcher at Al-Arabiya channel, said that raw information could be subject to multiple interpretations if not placed within a proper political, security, historical or geographical context.

He added that such an approach was urgently needed during periods of political and security volatility in the Middle East.

“This objectivity, or this reliability, is a great responsibility,” Al-Mustafa said. “It is reflected not only in its impact on the audience, but also on the credibility of the content creator.”

Al-Mustafa warned against populism and haste in coverage, saying that they risked deepening crises rather than providing informed public perspectives.

He also said that competition with social media influencers had pushed some traditional outlets to imitate influencer-driven models instead of strengthening their own professional standards.

“Our media has been crisis-driven for decades,” he said, describing much of the region’s coverage as reactive rather than proactive.

During a separate panel titled “The Official Voice in the Digital Age: Strategies of Influence,” speakers discussed how rapid technological and social changes were reshaping the role of institutional spokespersons.

AbdulrahmanAlhusain, official spokesperson of the Saudi Ministry of Commerce, said that the role was no longer limited to delivering statements or reacting to events.

“Today, the spokesperson must be the director of the scene — the director of the media narrative,” he said.

Audiences, he added, no longer accept isolated pieces of information unless they were presented within a clear narrative and structure.

“In the past, a spokesperson was expected to deliver formal presentations. Today, what is required is dialogue. The role may once requireddefense, but now it must involve discussion, the exchange of views, and open, candid conversation aimed at development — regardless of how harsh the criticism may be.”

He said that spokespersons must also be guided by data, digital indicators and artificial intelligence to understand public opinion before speaking.

“You must choose the right timing, the right method and the right vocabulary. You must anticipate a crisis before it happens. That is your role.”

Abdullah Aloraij, general manager of media at the Riyadh Region Municipality, said that the most important skill for a spokesperson today was the ability to analyze and monitor public discourse.

“The challenge is not in transferring words, but in transferring understanding and impact in the right way,” he said.

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Digital authority launches campaign to combat online misinformation

LAMA ALHAMAWI

February 04, 2026

KUWAIT CITY: During its fifth General Assembly meeting in Kuwait City on Wednesday, the Digital Cooperation Organization launched a campaign to tackle online misinformation, which 80 percent of surveyed government experts now rank as a primary threat to national security.

“Misinformation is not an abstract concern; it puts at risk the social cohesion that holds our communities together,” said Omar Saud Al-Omar, Kuwait’s minister of state for communication affairs and chairperson of the DCO Council for the current term.

He said more than 80 percent of government-identified misinformation is considered a top risk to national security.

Al-Omar emphasized the pivotal importance of joint efforts in combating misinformation. “We prioritized online content integrity as our flagship initiative.”

“During our presidency, the DCO activated the Ministerial Committee on Online Misinformation, which Kuwait has the honor to chair,” said Al-Omar.

“Today marks an exciting milestone: the launch of the DCO campaign to combat online misinformation, creating a platform for countries and partners to step forward with concrete pledges and shared commitments.”

He also highlighted the campaign’s importance for advancing the multilateral digital agenda.

Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Minister Abdullah Al-Swaha highlighted the importance of combating misinformation, stating that “the top five risks for the global workforce is misinformation.”

He emphasized the need to strengthen international cooperation to build an inclusive digital future based on trust, talent empowerment, and the effective use of advanced technologies, foremost among them artificial intelligence.

Al-Swaha commended Kuwait for its leadership during its presidency of the DCO.

He cited several impactful initiatives, including efforts to combat misinformation, promote trusted cross-border data flows, and launch a responsible AI framework — collectively enhancing global trust in the digital ecosystem.

He also noted the growing impact of the DCO, whose member states represent about 10 percent of the world’s population and contribute nearly $3.6 trillion to the planet’s economy, while achieving growth rates exceeding the global average.

The minister also highlighted advances in digital talent across DCO member states, which collectively include more than 2 million technology professionals and, in recent years, have contributed to the emergence of 16 unicorn companies and a range of successful entrepreneurial models.

Addressing national achievements, Al-Swaha said the Kingdom has achieved significant milestones in the digital economy in recent years.

He said this includes the region’s first Nobel Prize awarded for an AI-enabled breakthrough in chemistry, as well as the participation of the first Arab-Muslim woman in a mission to the International Space Station to conduct advanced medical research.

He concluded by underscoring the importance of continued investment in infrastructure in the intelligent age, and of strengthening international partnerships to achieve sustainable growth that serves humanity and the global economy.

Bridging the digital divide and the use of AI were discussed in detail during the meeting with the DCO’s Secretary-General Deemah Al-Yahya underlining the organization’s core mission and its evolution over the past five years.

Al-Yahya said: “Five years ago, the DCO was born from a simple but powerful conviction: that the digital economy is too important to be shaped by a few, and too critical to be left to chance.”

She called for “urgency and coordination” to bridge the digital divide.

“Today, the gains from digital transformation remain uneven. Infrastructure is concentrated, capital flows to the few, skills are scarce only for a few, and where it’s needed the most. If we do not act with urgency and coordination, the divide will not close … it will deepen.”

Al-Yahya added: “This is the challenge that defines us. Let us make this general assembly a turning point, not only in the history of this organization, but in the lives of the people we serve.

“And it must be built deliberately and inclusively. At a time when multilateralism itself is being tested, the DCO stands as a platform of trust and dialogue, offering a practical model for how countries can work together to shape a more balanced, resilient, and inclusive future.”

She underlined that through the general assembly, the “founding conviction has become a coalition.”

There were now 16 member states, more than 60 observers “and a growing ecosystem of governments, institutions, and innovators working side by side. But more important than numbers is what we have built together: trust.”

“We convene this fifth general assembly under the theme: ‘Digital Prosperity in the Age of AI.’ Never has this theme been more urgent,” Al-Yahya said.

She highlighted that AI was already reshaping industries, redefining labor markets, and transforming how governments serve their citizens.

Al-Yahya said the question at hand was not whether AI would change societies — “it’s already changing it.”

“The real question is: who will benefit?”

Also participating in the event was Shaza Fatima Khawaj, Pakistan’s minister of information and technology and telecommunications, who shared her mission to bridge the digital divide.

She commended the DCO’s efforts in this regard, and praised its role in “promoting trust, innovation and inclusion,” while underlining Pakistan’s readiness to assume the presidency of the general assembly in 2027.

The annual assembly is a major gathering for the DCO, bringing together the full digital ecosystem — including ministers from member states, observers, partners, policymakers, CEOs, innovators, and representatives from more than 60 countries — to help shape the global digital agenda.

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Rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea

February 05, 2026

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has documented a rare sighting of a leatherback sea turtle in the Red Sea, marking a significant biological record for one of the planet’s most critically endangered marine species.

The sighting occurred approximately 30 km off the coast of Al-Qunfudhah within the Blue Holes Protected Area, a newly established marine reserve, according to a recent report from the Saudi Press Agency.

The NCW said the presence of a leatherback in these waters was an exceptional event.

Recognized as the largest turtle species on Earth, the leatherback can weigh up to 900 kilograms. It has a unique leathery, black carapace — distinguished by five longitudinal ridges rather than a hard bony shell — and able to dive to depths exceeding 1,000 meters.

Noting the species’ migratory nature, the center explained that leatherbacks travel thousands of kilometers foraging for jellyfish. The specimen likely navigated through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait in search of food.

This is considered a remarkable journey, the NCW said, noting that the nearest known populations reside in the Indian Ocean, spanning waters from South Africa to Sri Lanka (roughly 7,000 to 8,000 km away).

The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, approximately 6,500 kilometers away. No nesting activity has been recorded in the Red Sea.

According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the leatherback is Critically Endangered in the Indian Ocean.

While data for the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf is scarce, recent isolated sightings include a juvenile recorded in Jordan in December 2025 and another off Djibouti in 2019.

The NCW emphasized that these rare appearances highlight the ecological importance of the Kingdom's marine conservation efforts in the Red Sea.

The center pointed to the Farasan Islands Marine Protected Area, along with the new Blue Holes and RasHatiba reserves, as critical sanctuaries that could support the expansion in range of such endangered species.

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Saudi FM receives Beninese counterpart in Riyadh

February 04, 2026

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Beninese counterpart OlushegunAdjadiBakari in Riyadh on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the meeting, the two officials reviewed cooperation between their countries, discussed regional and international developments, and efforts being made regarding them.

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Saudi crown prince receives German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Riyadh

February 04, 2026

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

A welcoming ceremony was held for Merz and the two leaders held an official session of talks.

During a meeting, Merz and the crown prince reviewed aspects of Saudi-German relations, areas of cooperation, and opportunities for their development in various sectors.

They also reviewed the latest regional and international developments and  efforts being made regarding them.

Merz arrived in Riyadh earlier on Wednesday on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, accompanied by a senior delegation.

He was received at King Khalid International Airport by Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, deputy governor of the Riyadh Region, alongside senior Saudi officials, diplomats and representatives from both governments, including Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan.

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Saudi defense minister meets with Qatar emir

February 04, 2026

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman met with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Doha on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The strong relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar were reviewed and the latest regional developments and efforts to address them were discussed during the meeting. Topics of mutual interest were also spoken about.

Prince Khalid conveyed the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and their wishes of further progress and prosperity for the Qatari government and people.

In return, Sheikh Tamim sent his greetings and feelings of appreciation to the Saudi leadership.

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Saudi Reef has played key role in empowering rural communities, says spokesperson

NADA HAMEED

February 04, 2026

JEDDAH: The Saudi Reef program has played a key role in strengthening food security and empowering farmers and rural families across the Kingdom since its launch in 2019.

The program forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader efforts under Vision 2030 to support sustainable agricultural development, diversify the economy, and enhance the contribution of rural communities to national growth.

Majed Al-Buraikan, the official spokesperson for Saudi Reef and its director of corporate communications and media, told Arab News that the program had made a positive impact in rural communities.

He said: “It has empowered small farmers and rural families to develop their agricultural projects and increase productivity.

“This support has helped strengthen food security, improve the use of resources, and support the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector, in line with Vision 2030 goals to diversify the economy and develop rural areas.”

Through targeted support across eight priority agricultural sectors — including Saudi coffee, value-added development, livestock, rainfed crops, beekeeping and honey production, aromatic plants, fisheries, and fruit — the program focuses on enhancing the sustainability of these sectors to achieve empowerment and stability for rural families.

Al-Buraikan added: “The eight sectors supported by the Saudi Reef program help diversify agricultural production, support sustainable use of resources and improve supply chains.

“This diversity supports economic stability in rural areas, encourages balanced growth, and helps build a flexible rural production system that can expand over time.”

By benefiting more than 90,000 rural families and enabling productive projects rooted in local communities, the program has also opened up new economic opportunities for women and youngsters, supported entrepreneurship, and improved productivity across the rural sector.

Al-Buraikan said: “This shows the wide developmental impact of the Saudi Reef program and its strong geographic and social reach.

“It demonstrates the ability of rural areas to become productive economic spaces.

“This expansion has improved income levels, strengthened social stability in rural areas, and increased the contribution of agriculture to the national economy.”

The program has helped make rural work a competitive economic option by improving agricultural productivity, supporting a wide range of sectors, and enabling beneficiaries to access local and global markets.

The program announced in 2025 that the market value of production across its sectors had exceeded SR5.6 billion ($1.49 billion) since its launch.

Al-Buraikan said: “This reflects the strong economic potential of rural investment and its role in supporting the national economy, food security, and sustainability goals under Vision 2030.”

The Sustainable Reef initiative was launched in September 2025 to highlight the significant impact the program had made in supporting rural communities and enhancing agricultural and economic sustainability across various regions of the Kingdom.

Al-Buraikan said the initiative was a development-focused media extension of the Saudi Reef program.

“It highlights the real impact of government support through inspiring success stories that show how rural projects have become sustainable, productive businesses,” he said.

“What makes it different is that it goes beyond traditional support by building public awareness of the value of rural areas as promising economic and investment contributors.”

Saudi Reef has helped position rural work as a competitive and sustainable economic option, reinforcing its role in driving long-term development across the Kingdom.

The program has also empowered women in rural areas by opening new opportunities in agricultural activities while providing sustainable sources of income.

Al-Buraikan said: “It has also supported young people through an integrated entrepreneurship system that includes incubators, accelerators, and training programs, helping to turn rural ideas into productive projects led by and benefiting rural communities.”

In addition, the program supports Vision 2030 by empowering farmers, increasing local production, and building a sustainable agricultural sector that contributes to food security and economic development.

Demonstration farms serve as practical platforms where farmers can observe modern agricultural practices, learn improved production methods, and adopt modern technologies, thereby increasing efficiency and improving crop quality.

Al-Buraikan said: “The program balances agricultural production with environmental protection by promoting smart agriculture, improving resource use, and linking production to modern technologies. The program ensures agricultural growth while protecting the environment.”

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Europe

 

Russia willing to remove enriched uranium from Iran

4 Feb, 2026

Russia is willing to take what remains of Iran’s enriched uranium, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

“At the same time, it is important to note that the aforementioned stockpiles belong to Iran. Their presence in no way contradicts Tehran’s obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” Zakharova stated at a briefing on Wednesday, as quoted by Kommersant.

Tehran has full rights to the material, including deciding whether to remove it from Iranian territory and where to export it, she added.

The statement comes amid international efforts to contain the crisis between Tehran and Washington. Over the past weeks, Washington has deployed additional air defense systems to bases across the Middle East, including Patriot and THAAD batteries, and sent an ‘armada’ led by the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Arabian Sea.

Washington has been signaling that while the immediate threat of military action has eased, the US retains the capacity to respond if needed. The core US demands include limits on uranium enrichment and restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile program. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is purely peaceful.

Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported on Monday that the likelihood of an immediate US strike on Tehran has diminished, and diplomacy has been given a new chance after intensive mediation – primarily by Russia and Türkiye, along with Qatar.

Moscow first suggested removing enriched uranium from Iran last summer, saying it could remove and reprocess it and then return it to Iran’s nuclear facilities. Russia also informed Iran, the US, and the International Atomic Energy Agency of its proposal. However, the Iranian authorities did not publicly give a definite response.

In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia remains ready to help avoid escalation between the US and Iran.

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Peace won’t save Ukraine: What comes after the war may be worse

4 Feb, 2026

Four years after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, some sort of peace deal appears to be somewhere around the corner as Moscow, Kiev, and Washington have started holding trilateral negotiations. But while these developments suggest peace could potentially soon be at hand, history shows that the struggles for Ukraine are likely far from over as the ‘echo of war’ is sure to ring out for some years to come.

The prolonged fighting has seen many Ukrainian men forced to the front line by the Kiev regime with estimates suggesting some one million Ukrainians have been mobilized since 2022. The physical and mental toll on these soldiers, many of whom did not want to fight in the first place, has been immense.

Coupled with an influx of weapons to the country, many of which have made their way to the hands of civilians and criminal groups, Ukrainians appear to be in for many more years of internal strife, as has been the case in numerous countries following prolonged conflicts.

PTSD and substance abuse

In June, The Lancet Regional Health medical journal reported alarmingly high rates of PTSD and other mental health conditions among Ukrainian soldiers who had been “relentlessly” exposed to violence, trauma and death, while also noting a lack of adequate support systems in the country.

According to the Lancet, many combat-exposed Ukrainian soldiers, two-thirds of which already have PTSD, have been resorting to alcohol and drug abuse, particularly cannabis and synthetic ‘bath salts’ which cause severe health effects including behavior change, violence, depression, and suicide. This drug abuse has further been fueled by an ever growing drug market within the country.

Another study published in October by the New Line Institute, authored by several clinical psychologists, found that the issue extends to civilians as well, with 76% of respondents meeting PTSD criteria and 66% exhibiting significant moral injury between 2022 and 2023.

“Trauma exposure, including PTSD and moral injury, can increase aggression among affected populations, creating a feedback loop in which societal violence escalates even in areas not directly attacked by military forces,” the authors noted citing extensive research on the issue.

Veterans and violence

The trauma and subsequent substance abuse among Ukrainian servicemen have already had an impact on Ukrainian families and communities, with increasingly frequent reports of veterans being involved in violent altercations with law enforcement, often involving firearms.

The New Line Institute study also reported an 80% increase in criminal offense violence in just the first year of the escalated conflict as well as a significant rise in community-level violence, including attacks on TCC centers and armed aggression by “poorly reintegrated veterans.”

Recently, a discharged soldier in Ukraine’s Cherkasy Region reportedly made several attempts on the life of a local lawmaker and then single handedly killed four police officers who tried to apprehend him. Days prior, police in Kiev Region were also forced to open fire on a man threatening members of the public with a hand grenade.

History of post-war issues

PTSD has long been linked with subsequent violent behavior. After the US wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, health experts noted that multiple combat tours and repeated trauma led to a “tsunami” of social issues, including increases in “homicides, suicides, domestic violence and divorces,” with veterans also being noted to descend into homelessness or crime within months of returning home.

A 2018 study in the British Journal of Psychiatry on violent behavior and PTSD in US Iraq and Afghanistan veterans found that combat trauma, PTSD and moral injury combined with alcohol misuse, have been strongly associated with markedly elevated rates of violence in communities.

Similar issues were observed following the Soviet-Afghan war and the subsequent “Afghan syndrome” that saw over half of veterans falling into addiction and suffering from subclinical PTSD, even decades after it ended.

Influx of weapons and Organized Crime

Another issue that could end up contributing to long-standing social unrest in Ukraine is the sheer amount of weapons that has trickled from the front line into the hands of the criminal groups and the overall population.

A 2025 report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime found that an increasing amount of military-grade small arms, light weapons, and hand grenades were regularly being salvaged by civilians from the battlefield which has already contributed to an increase in arms-related violence among civilians.

In the past, an uncontrolled flow of weapons into civilian hands has often triggered prolonged eras of violent organized crime, as was seen in the 1990s in Russia and other post-soviet countries following the collapse of the USSR when poorly secured military arsenals flooded into criminal hands. 

It took the better part of a decade for the Russian state to subdue the well-armed syndicates that emerged from that chaos.

Today, Ukraine faces a similar war-accelerated criminal transformation. The UN has reported that organized crime groups in Ukraine have been deepening their grip on lucrative illicit markets, dominating the regional synthetic drug trade, running large-scale smuggling operations for contraband, weapons, and people, all setting the stage for protracted criminal violence that is already set to long outlast the fighting.

People vs Government

The forced conscriptions and ‘busification’, along with rampant corruption and links between organized crime and top government officials have ultimately decimated the social fabric and relations between the state and the people in Ukraine.

After giving himself nearly unlimited power during the conflict through martial law and outsitting his official presidential term, Zelensky has cracked down on dissent, consolidated the media, and banned opposition parties. However, when he recently attempted to neuter Western-funded anti-corruption bodies, a glimpse of the nation’s pent up frustration became evident as massive protests broke out across all major cities.

But the strongest evidence for the inevitable standoff between the government and the people are the constant standoffs between military conscription police (TCC) and the public, which have been reported almost daily across Ukraine for the past several years and have been growing increasingly violent.

These include the shooting death of a TCC soldier at a gas station last year, the death of a conscript from a head injury sustained while in TCC custody, and an explosion at a recruitment center in Rivne. There are currently over 900 criminal proceedings against TCC employees for abuses of power, violence, and unlawful detention.

Far reaching consequences

European officials have also raised concerns already over an impending flood of Ukrainian soldiers with PTSD to neighboring countries after the conflict ends, who could end up posing a threat to civilians and participating in organized crime.

“These extreme experiences related to stress, threats to life, witnessing injuries, destruction, hunger, and exhaustion will have great significance not only for Poland but for Europe. Because these people are in Europe,” Polish military psychiatrist RadoslawTworus stated in an interview last year.

”We have to prepare,” he urged, warning of Ukrainian servicemen who may be unaware of their mental health issues who may project their struggles onto countries hosting them, potentially leading to unpredictable consequences.

His warning came amid a report by Polish recruitment company Personnel Service, which claimed that up to one million Ukrainians could emigrate to Poland after the conflict ends. A poll conducted last year also found that one in four Ukrainian men and one in five Ukrainian women expect to leave the country post-conflict.

Similar issues in Russia

While similar issues have also been popping up in Russia, with a reported rise in violent crimes involving veterans with untreated PTSD returning from the front line, the scale of the issue in Ukraine and Russia is likely to differ in the long run. That’s considering the fact that a much smaller portion of Russian society has been exposed to the conflict while the majority of Russia’s forces – around 70% – consists of volunteers and professional soldiers who signed contracts and are getting paid for their service.

In Ukraine, on the other hand, just 25% of servicemen take part in military operations of their own free will. Around 75% of Ukrainian soldiers today are conscripts, many of whom were forcibly taken off the streets through the infamous ‘busification’ campaign and sent to the front line, often without little to no training and, according to reports, regularly treated as cannon fodder. Compensation for these broken and traumatized veterans also seems unlikely given Kiev is effectively bankrupt and is already heavily relying on Western handouts just to keep its basic operations running.

Post-war crisis state

Even if the guns fall silent tomorrow, the war for Ukraine will be far from over. The most immediate battles will simply shift from the trenches to the home front, with an entire traumatized generation and streets flooded with weapons and rising organized crime that arguably has already been ruling the country for the past several years.

Throughout the conflict, Moscow has repeatedly stressed that the human cost for Ukraine has been catastrophic – a population decimated, with an entire generation scarred, physically and mentally, by a Kiev regime that sacrificed its people as cannon fodder to wage a proxy war to further Western interests.

While the West keeps talking about the cost of rebuilding Ukraine, ultimately its greatest long-term challenge will likely be the reconstruction of its society, as well as addressing the issue of a coherent national identity that, as described by French historian Emmanuel Todd, has for years been defined by nothing other than opposing everything Russian.

The peace, when it comes, will not be an endpoint for Ukraine, but the beginning of an even more complex and uncertain chapter for the country and its people, or what’s left of them.

Source: rt.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.rt.com/russia/631853-peace-wont-save-ukraine/

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NSW premier speaks with Muslim community after mosque receives second threatening letter

Feb 5, 2026

NSW Premier Chris Minns has offered his support to the Muslim community after a second threatening letter was sent to a mosque in Sydney's south-west.

Lakemba Mosque received a drawing of the building depicted on fire with people inside alongside the words "burn them out", "human waste preach here", "filth" and "scum" yesterday afternoon.

Police are investigating the matter and have taken the letter for forensic examination.

Minns has spoken with the community and said the government will always call out Islamophobia.

"Tonight, I have spoken with the Lebanese Muslim Association to express my support following threats to Lakemba Mosque," he said in a statement last night.

"People should be able to attend and pray without fear or intimidation.

"The NSW government will continue to call out Islamophobia wherever it occurs, just as we will continue to call out racism and all forms of religious hatred."

It was the second threatening letter the Lakemba Mosque had received in a fortnight.

A 70-year-old man accused of sending the first letter is before the courts charged with three counts of sending documents, threatening death or grievous bodily harm.

Counter-terror and federal police allegedly found more than 100 letters, stamps, notepads, and several electronic devices during a search of his home on January 24.

The Lebanese Muslim Association, which is the curator of the Lakemba Mosque, said it often receives hate mail, but the nature of the two recent ones was alarming.

"This letter writer went to a lot of trouble to make [their] threats using words and images, and this kind of intimidation has become the new norm," spokesperson Hajj GamelKheir told the ABC.

"We are now witnessing a greater increase in Islamophobia than ever, which naturally is quite alarming."

"Racism will never win. Islam and the Muslim community will never cower to the threats and demands of the racist element in Australia."

The Muslim community is just days out from celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, when millions will fast, pray and spiritually reflect.

Source: 9news.com.au

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.9news.com.au/national/lakemba-mosque-receives-second-threatening-letter-in-a-fortnight/38c1c99c-e1ac-49ab-90e4-440235328f43

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Charity box stolen from Nelson mosque in daytime theft

Sean Gleaves

4 Feb 2026

A charity box containing around £40 was stolen from a mosque in Nelson in a daytime theft.

The theft happened at the Jamia Masjid MinhajQuaran Mosque on Brunswick Street shortly after midday on Wednesday, January 14.

Police said a man entered the mosque and forcibly removed a charity box from a wall before making off.

Around £40 was inside the box.

Officers are now appealing for help to identify the man pictured in CCTV stills as part of their investigation.

Anyone who recognises him or has information is asked to call police on 101, quoting log 1197 of January 14.

Information can also be passed anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers online or by calling 0800 555 111.

Source: lep.co.uk

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.lep.co.uk/news/charity-box-stolen-from-nelson-mosque-in-daytime-theft-5503753

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Police appeal after hate crime graffiti sprayed on Exeter Mosque

Caitlin Taylor

04 Feb 2026

Police have launched an appeal for information after racially aggravated graffiti was sprayed on a mosque in Exeter.

The incident took place overnight between Thursday 30 January and Friday 31 January at a building on Main Road in Pinhoe.

Officers say the graffiti, which has been recorded as a hate crime, was discovered the following morning and has since been removed.

Devon and Cornwall Police have condemned the act and are urging anyone with information to come forward as they work to identify the person responsible.

In a statement, the force said: “We want to be clear that there is no place for racism in Exeter and we will continue to work to identify the person responsible.”

Police are asking anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area at the time, or who has any information that could assist the investigation, to get in touch.

Anyone able to help is asked to contact police on 101 or via the Devon and Cornwall Police website, quoting crime reference number 50260025852.

Source: northdevongazette.co.uk

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/around-devon/2006697/police-appeal-after-hate-crime-graffiti-sprayed-on-exeter-mosque.html

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Young Muslim volunteers deliver 1.5 tonnes of food to charity

04 Feb 2026

Young members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) have delivered 1.5 tonnes of food to FareShare Sussex & Surrey, helping families facing food insecurity.

The donation, made last week, brought together volunteers from Bordon, Farnham, Aldershot, Farnborough, Ash and Bournemouth.

The campaign was launched after reports highlighted critical food shortages and rising demand at regional food banks.

Dozens of volunteers spent the weekend collecting, sorting and delivering supplies to ensure they reached the FareShare warehouse in Guildford efficiently.

Dan Slatter, chief executive of FareShare Sussex & Surrey, welcomed the donation.

“I am blown away. Thank you so much,” he said. “These are exactly the sorts of products we need for emergency food provisions. We’ll be distributing them to charities across Surrey over the coming weeks. Incredible. So, so great. Thank you.”

Haroon Khan, regional youth coordinator of AMYA Surrey, East Hampshire and Dorset, said: “After hearing that people in our communities were in greater need this year, as young British Muslims we felt it was our duty to respond.

“Helping our neighbours is a fundamental part of our faith, especially when food banks are under so much pressure.”

The 1.5 tonnes of donations will reach hundreds of families through FareShare’s network. The effort is part of AMYA’s national ‘Mercy4Mankind’ campaign, which also includes blood donation drives, tree planting, fundraising and other community support initiatives.

AMYA aims to encourage young Muslims to serve society while fulfilling their religious obligations. Its work across the UK has already provided 4.6 million meals, raised £738,000 for charities and contributed more than 57,000 volunteer hours in the past two years alone.

The community follows the teaching of the Quran and founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who said: “My desire, my wish, and my objective is serving humanity. It’s my job, my faith, my inspiration, and my way.”

Source: .haslemereherald.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.haslemereherald.com/news/young-muslim-volunteers-deliver-15-tonnes-of-food-to-charity-876034

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Rabitabank launches Mudaraba and Murabaha Islamic banking products in Azerbaijan

04.02.2026

Rabitabank has taken another significant step toward addressing alternative financial needs and promoting innovative approaches within the banking sector. As of February 2, 2026, the Bank has begun offering Mudaraba and Murabaha products based on Islamic finance principles.

The new products are implemented in line with a special regulatory framework introduced by the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan and aim to support the development of alternative financial instruments in the country, enhance accessibility to banking services, and strengthen financial inclusion.

Mudaraba – An investment model compliant with Islamic principles

Under the Mudaraba product, the minimum investment amount is AZN 500, while the maximum amount is AZN 500,000, or the equivalent in USD/EUR. Investment tenors are available for 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. The product is accessible to both individual customers and entrepreneurs.

Within the Mudaraba framework, investments are managed in strict compliance with Islamic banking principles. Eighty percent (80%) of the net profit generated is allocated to customers, while twenty percent (20%) constitutes the Bank’s profit margin. The Bank assumes responsibility with its own capital under the agreement, and all liability terms are clearly specified in the contract.

Murabaha – Transparent and interest-free financing

The Murabaha product is designed to meet entrepreneurs’ working capital needs as well as to finance the acquisition of fixed assets. Financing amounts range from AZN 30,000 to AZN 500,000, or the equivalent in USD/EUR, with a maximum tenor of up to 12 months.

Under Murabaha, financing is provided on the basis of purchasing goods, works, or services in a fully interest-free and transparent manner. The profit margin is calculated as a fixed amount at the time of financing and is commission-free. Financing is available for all business sectors that are not prohibited under Islamic banking principles. Both legal entities and individual entrepreneurs are eligible to benefit from this product.

Through this initiative, Rabitabank combines modern banking practices with alternative financial models, creating new and reliable opportunities tailored to the evolving financial needs of its customers.

Currently, Rabitabank OJSC operates a total of 31 service outlets across Baku and 19 regions, along with 78 ATMs, the Rabita Mobile application, Internet Banking platform, Rabita Business application, RabitaBotchatbot, and a Call Center (133), delivering a wide range of banking services in line with the highest modern standards.

Source: azertag.az

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https://azertag.az/en/xeber/__rabitabank_launches_mudaraba_and_murabaha_islamic_banking_products_in_azerbaijan-4003259

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Ukraine treating ethnic Hungarians like ‘cannon fodder’ – Orban

5 Feb, 2026

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has condemned Ukraine’s forced conscription of ethnic Hungarians following the death of another recruit.

Ukrainian draft officers have been detaining military-age men on the streets and at workplaces as the army struggles to replenish its ranks amid the ongoing Russian offensive. The officers have used physical violence during detentions, with multiple deaths reported in custody at enlistment offices.

“Dragged off to war, another Hungarian has died due to Ukraine’s forced conscription. This is unacceptable. We stand with the family, and we will not let this slide,” Orban said in a video address posted on X on Wednesday.

“All Ukrainian officials responsible for forced conscription will be expelled from Hungary without delay. Our people cannot be used as cannon fodder,” he added.

Officials in Ukraine’s western region of Zakarpattia, which is home to a sizable ethnic Hungarian minority, announced the death of ZsoltReban, 46, on January 20.

BalazsOrban, a political adviser to the Hungarian prime minister, said Reban was “taken from the street by force and pushed into conscription” despite having previously been declared unfit for military service due to a lifelong heart condition. Hungarian media said Reban died at a training center near Lviv. According to BalazsOrban, Reban was an EU citizen.

In July 2025, JozsefSebestyen, a dual Ukrainian-Hungarian citizen, died weeks after being drafted. The family of the 45-year-old conscript said he was beaten at a training center. The Ukrainian authorities denied any wrongdoing, stating that Sebestyen died from a pulmonary embolism.

Unlike many fellow NATO members, Hungary has refused to send weapons to Ukraine and has called for diplomacy with Russia over sanctions. Budapest has also criticized Ukraine for striking the pipeline used to transport oil into the EU. In August 2025, Hungary imposed sanctions on Robert Brovdi, Ukraine’s top drone commander.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/632014-hungary-condemns-ukraine-conscription/

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North America

 

Epstein asked Chomsky for advice over 'putrid' media coverage, files show

Kayla Epstein

Feb 4, 2026

Jeffrey Epstein sought advice from linguist Noam Chomsky over what he called "putrid" media coverage of sex trafficking allegations against him, new files show.

In emails from February 2019, the disgraced financier asked if he should "defend myself" or "try to ignore".

A response that appears to be from Chomsky laments "the horrible way" Epstein was treated and the "hysteria that has developed about abuse of women".

"It's painful to say, but I think the best way to proceed is to ignore it," the email said.

The exchange was among the latest release of files from the US government's investigation into Epstein. The BBC has contacted Chomsky's wife Valeria, who is his spokesperson, for comment.

The appearance of Chomsky's name in the files does not imply wrongdoing.

The documents appear to reveal correspondence between Epstein, Chomsky and Valeria on numerous subjects, from academic papers to arranging meet ups.

Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and found dead in his New York jail cell in August of that year awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

In 2023, Noam Chomsky, 97, told the Wall Street Journal of his relationship with Epstein: "First response is that it is none of your business. Or anyone's. Second is that I knew him and we met occasionally."

Epstein's email to Chomsky came as the Miami Herald published a series of investigative reports into Epstein and a plea deal he reached to avoid trial on federal sex trafficking charges in 2008.

"Noam. I d love your advice on how I handle my putrid press," Epstein wrote, adding that media coverage was "spiralling out of control".

"Do I have someone write an op ed?" Epstein asked. "defend myself? or try to ignore. realizing that mobs are dangerous."

A reply from an account labelled in the documents as Noam Chomsky reads: "What the vultures dearly want is public response, which then provides a public opening for an onslaught of venomous attacks, many from just publicity seekers or cranks of all sorts."

"That's particularly true now with the hysteria that has developed about abuse of women, which has reached the point that even questioning a charge is a crime worse than murder," the email added.

The documents also appear to show that the couple turned to the financier for advice on interest payments, and how to communicate with their children about their finances.

"N wants to send the letter below to his children," an email address identified as Valeria Chomsky wrote in September 2017. "Suggestions? Something to add?"

"Feel free to suggest. We trust you," the email concluded.

Correspondence between Epstein and Chomsky also featured in previous document releases. Files released last year showed the pair exchanged several messages over the years and Epstein invited him to stay at his homes.

In an undated letter of support included in the trove of emails, Chomsky said the two had held "many long and often in-depth discussions".

Source: bbc.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9ykjlyv50o

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CAIR-NY Applauds Condemnation of Islamophobia by New York Congressman Tim Kennedy

February 4, 2026

The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today applauded the public condemnation of Islamophobia in the United States by New York Congressman Tim Kennedy during his remarks on the floor at the U.S. House of Representatives. 

In a statement, CAIR-NY Executive Director AfafNasher, Esq., said:

“Congressman Kennedy’s remarks send a forceful and timely message to New Yorkers and all Americans that Islamophobia has no place in our country. When elected leaders use their voices to reject hate and religious discrimination they help protect the dignity, safety and civil rights of American Muslims and members of all minority communities. We applaud Congressman Kennedy for rejecting a narrative that promotes fear and division, singles out entire faith communities and falsely portrays intolerance as strength.”

CAIR-NY’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR-NY esproteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.

Subscribe to CAIR-NY’s Email List

You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.

Source: cair.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-ny-applauds-condemnation-of-islamophobia-by-new-york-congressman-tim-kennedy/

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CAIR-Pittsburgh Welcomes Charges in Rostraver Walmart Incident

February 4, 2026

The Pittsburgh chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Pittsburgh), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the criminal charges filed against a Speers man accused of ethnic intimidation following a racist incident recorded at a Walmart in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County.

According to court records and reporting, the individual is charged with ethnic intimidation, harassment, and disorderly conduct after allegedly confronting and verbally harassing a Black woman while recording himself and using racist language inside the store. The incident, which was posted to social media, quickly drew widespread concern and condemnation.

In a statement, CAIR-Pittsburgh Executive Director Christine Mohamed said:

“CAIR-Pittsburgh welcomes these charges as an important step toward accountability.  Acts of racial intimidation are not harmless speech. They are meant to demean, threaten, and silence. When prosecutors take these cases seriously, it sends a clear message that hate-based harassment has real consequences and will not be tolerated in our communities.”

CAIR-Pittsburgh urges anyone who experiences or witnesses bias-motivated harassment or violence to document the incident and report it to local authorities and civil rights organizations.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.      

La misión de CAIR esproteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.   

Source: cair.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-pittsburgh-welcomes-charges-in-rostraver-walmart-incident/

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CAIR-MN, Civil Rights Partners to Call for Accountability for the Killings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti After ICE Drawdown

February 4, 2026

On Thursday, Feb. 5, CAIR-Minnesota and other civil rights organizations, faith leaders, and community groups will hold a press conference in response to the drawdown of federal enforcement personnel by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following public resistance, and the continued lack of criminal prosecution for the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. 

WHAT: Press conference calling for criminal charges and accountability for federal officers involved in the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti.

WHEN: Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 12:30 PM

WHERE: Hennepin County Federal Courthouse, 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN

CONTACT: Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director, CAIR-MN, 612-406-0070, jhussein@cair.com; Suleiman Adan, Deputy Executive Director, CAIR-MN — 612-408-7183, sadan@cair.com

CAIR-Minnesota and allied civil rights organizations will demand justice, an end to unconstitutional enforcement actions, and that federal officers be held accountable and charged in connection with the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. 

CAIR-MN is the state’s leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Its mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

Source: cair.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-mn-civil-rights-partners-to-call-for-accountability-for-the-killings-of-renee-good-alex-pretti-after-ice-drawdown/

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CAIR Calls on Alabama Leaders to Repudiate Sen. Tuberville’s Latest Racist, Anti-Muslim Comments Targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar

February 4, 2026

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on political and religious leaders in Alabama to repudiate Senator Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) latest racist, anti-Muslim comments, this time targeting Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

In a press conference called “radical Islam” a “cult that has taken over every second of every day” and said of Rep. Omar, “if people like [her] love this way of life back home, why don’t you just move the hell back?” Tuberville is a member of a newly-formed anti-Muslim caucus in Congress.

[NOTE: CAIR’s Alabama chapter repeatedly urged Sen. Turberville to visit a mosque in that state.]

In a statement, CAIR said:

“Senator Tuberville’s remarks are openly racist, dangerously misleading and wholly unbefitting any elected official. Telling a Muslim member of Congress to ‘move the hell back’ echoes some of the ugliest chapters in our nation’s history and fuels hatred and intimidation against Muslims and immigrants nationwide. Alabama’s political and religious leaders must make clear that this kind of bigotry does not represent their values or the values of our country.”

In a recent commentary, CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor wrote:

“When Senator Tuberville talks about excluding Alabama Muslims from the constitutional rights guaranteed to all Alabamans, he sounds like a politician who studied George Wallace standing in a schoolhouse door and decided that Wallace’s problem wasn’t the bigotry, just the target.”

Last month, CAIR welcomed Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen’s and Virginia Senator Time Kaine’s “principled” responses to an anti-Muslim social media post by Sen. Tuberville targeting Virginia Lt. Governor Ghazala Hashmi.

Washington, D.C., based CAIR recently added Sen. Tuberville to its list of anti-Muslim extremists in the United States in the wake of his increasingly hateful and dangerous attacks on Alabama Muslims, including his recent targeting of Alabama Muslim K-12 school children.

That marked the first time that CAIR has ever designated a U.S. senator as an anti-Muslim extremist.

Source: cair.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-on-alabama-leaders-to-repudiate-sen-tubervilles-latest-racist-anti-muslim-comments-targeting-rep-ilhan-omar/

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Colorado to pay $245,000 to Muslim man forced to shave beard in prison

February 4, 2026

Colorado will pay $245,000 to a Muslim man who was forced to shave his beard in prison in violation of his religious beliefs, court records show.

TajuddinAshaheed brought the lawsuit against the Colorado Department of Corrections nearly a decade ago, after he was forced to shave his beard as he entered prison for a parole violation in July 2016.

A correctional officer forced Ashaheed to shave during the intake process, even though Ashaheed told the officer he was a Muslim and that shaving his beard would violate a core tenet of his faith, according to the lawsuit.

The officer told Ashaheed that if he did not shave his beard, he would be disciplined and placed in solitary confinement, according to the lawsuit. Ashaheed shaved when faced with that threat.

His lawsuit kicked off a years-long legal battle. The two sides reached an agreement for a settlement in September and finalized it in mid-January, court records show.

David Lane, Ashaheed’s attorney, said in a news release Wednesday that the case highlights the importance of constitutional protections.

“As this country slides into fascism, it is critically important that the public takes every civil rights violation seriously, and never gives up the fight to protect our Constitution,” he said in the news release.

A spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Corrections did not immediately return a request for comment.

Source: dailycamera.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.dailycamera.com/2026/02/04/colorado-prison-lawsuit-beard-muslim-shave/

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Houston-area school district pushes back on Gov. Abbott's order to halt Islamic Games

February 4, 2026

AHouston area public school district is refusing to comply with an order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott to halt hosting an Islamic Games event on its campus.

The Islamic Games had scheduled two major events in Texas at taxpayer-funded public-school facilities, including the Houston Islamic Games at Bridgeland High School in Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. A north Texas district canceled its event last month.

The Islamic Games claims to be “the premier Muslim sports and athletic event in North America, dedicated to promoting physical excellence, unity, and community development.” It listed more than 100 sponsors on its website, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations-New Jersey. Last November, Gov. Abbott designated CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization and subsequently called for investigations into it and other Islamic groups, The Center Square reported. CAIR denies the allegations and has sued.

Two weeks ago, Abbott sent a letter to CFISD saying, "It has come to my attention that Bridgeland High School intends to offer public school facilities to host the 2026 Houston Islamic Games," adding that he designated CAIR as an FTO. "You cannot invite such dangers through the front doors of our schools. Texans deserve immediate action to curb the spread of Islamic extremism, and public facilities funded by their tax dollars will not be utilized to host terrorist related groups," The Center Square reported.

CFISD issued a statement appearing to parse words, stating public school property was being used by community groups, including the Islamic Games.

“CFISD currently has 15 different churches of different denominations using our facilities weekly. GKD (LOCAL) does not distinguish between religions in our facility use guidelines, nor does the district distinguish between religious and non-religious viewpoints,” it said in a statement. It cited a Supreme Court ruling stating that religious groups using taxpayer-funded facilities doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution if the use is not school-sponsored.

It also said CFISD “has no facility use agreements in place for the 2026-2027 school year for outside users of campus facilities, as community groups are not permitted to reserve space for the following school year until Aug. 1.” It previously entered into a facility use agreement with the Islamic Games of North America for a September 2025 event, it acknowledged.

It also said CFISD “never contracted with CAIR NJ, nor is it aware of any affiliation between the Islamic Games of North America and CAIR NJ during its prior rental of facilities to the Islamic Games of North America. CFISD is aware of the state prohibition against governmental entities entering into contracts with companies identified as foreign terrorist organizations and has fully complied with this statute.”

Doubling down on this position, CFISD Superintendent Douglas Killian wrote a letter to Abbott stating that the Islamic Games "is not identified as a foreign terrorist organization," The Houston Chronicle reported. "If there is an existing legal basis for the edict to disallow The Islamic Games of North America from using CFISD facilities that was inadvertently left out of your correspondence, please provide this citation," he added.

He also said CFISD would cooperate with all investigations and “has nothing to hide."

Abbott directed CFISD to preserve all records and communications about the event and confirm with his office that any negotiations or agreements were terminated. Killian notified Abbott that CFISD wasn’t canceling the Islamic Games.

Abbott previously said he would direct the Texas Education Agency “to immediately seize and uncover any communications district employees may have regarding CAIR, any attempts to conceal CAIR’s involvement, and any agreements or financial statements related to the proposed event,” and noncompliance would likely result in legal action.

Attorney General Ken Paxton also launched an investigation into CFISD requesting it to provide communications, contracts and related documents related to IGNA, CAIR or affiliated chapters, The Center Square reported.

Killian, whose salary is nearly $500,000, leads a district drowning in debt and high property taxes. The district is facing a $50 million deficit after continuously increasing property taxes. It’s also proposed calling for another bond election in May to increase debt and taxes even more after a 2019 $1.76 billion bond passed. This proposal includes another $1.75 billion bond saddling taxpayers with debt for another four decades.

Killian’s refusal to comply with Abbott’s request comes as Texas lawmakers are leading multiple anti-Sharia law initiatives, The Center Square reported. A Texas mayor banned Sharia law; the state comptroller is holding school choice applications submitted by private schools with potential connections to foreign adversaries, including to Sharia law; a state representative had called for legislative hearings to ban Sharia law; and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick listed banning Sharia Law as a top legislative priority for the next legislative session, The Center Square reported.

Source: justthenews.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/cy-fair-isd-pushes-back-gov-abbotts-islamic-games-order

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The US has accused the EU of censorship: Here’s how the bloc’s consensus machine works

4 Feb, 2026

The Republican US House Judiciary Committee has published details of what it claims is a decade-long campaign by the European Commission to stifle online political speech, with barely-veiled threats used to stamp out memes, satire, and anything Brussels calls “disinformation.”

In a report published on Tuesday, the committee accused the EU of “directly infringing” on the free speech rights of Americans and Europeans alike by pressuring major social media platforms into censoring legal but “hateful” or otherwise problematic content.

Drawing on policy documents, emails, and the minutes of closed-door meetings in Brussels, the report identified how voluntary meetings with tech executives quickly turned into mob-style shakedowns, with the threat of legal action and multimillion-euro fines dangled over the heads of platform chiefs.

The committee is set to hold a hearing on the EU’s censorship efforts on Wednesday. Ahead of the hearing, here’s a dive into what they uncovered.

When did EU censorship start?

The bloc’s censorship campaign began in earnest in 2015. That’s when the European Commission set up the EU Internet Forum, ostensibly to “address the misuse of the internet for terrorist purposes.” Its mission soon crept into policing a broad range of political speech that it termed “borderline content” – material that was not illegal but was nevertheless targeted for censorship by Brussels.

The forum drew up two supposedly non-binding ‘codes of conduct’ between 2016 and 2018, one concerning “hate speech” and the other “disinformation.” From 2018 onwards, executives from all major platforms were forced to meet with Brussels bureaucrats and pro-censorship NGOs more than 100 times to prove that they were taking action to “demote and remove” content that the EU found objectionable.

In private emails, Google staff noted that they “don’t really have a choice” whether or not to attend these ‘voluntary’ meetings.

Was the EU warned about censorship?

At last year’s Munich Security Conference, US Vice President J.D. Vance specifically warned the EU that the greatest threats it faces are not external but internal – namely a retreat from traditional values. At the top of Vance’s list, he named freedom of speech.

Vance accused European leaders of using “Soviet-era” terms such as “misinformation and disinformation” to silence political opposition. He criticized the annulment of elections in Romania and the prosecution of individuals for commentary in Germany, Sweden, and the UK.

The vice president also warned that future US support for Europe would depend on whether governments actually uphold freedom of speech.

It seems the warning issued in Munich somehow didn’t reach Brussels.

What kind of speech does the EU censor?

The EU has banned RT in all of its jurisdictions. In its handbook on “borderline content,” the EU Internet Forum recommended a wide range of content for monitoring, demotion, and deletion. This list included “populist rhetoric,” “anti-government/anti-EU” content, “anti-elite” content, “political satire,” “anti-migrants and Islamophobic content,” “anti-refugee/immigrant sentiment,” “anti-LGBTIQ” content, and “meme subculture.”

The US House Judiciary Committee noted in its report that “these issues represent the dominant topics of European – indeed, global – political life today.”

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, EU officials began pressing tech firms to “demote and remove” content skeptical of vaccines and lockdown measures, according to European Commission documents. At bimonthly meetings, the (mostly US) platforms were asked to “update [their] terms of service or content moderation practices” surrounding vaccines, long before the vaccines first hit the market.

“Vaccines will be our new focus on disinformation on covid,” the commission’s vice president, Vera Jourova, told TikTok executives in a call that November. When asked how it defined “disinformation,” the commission referred platforms to the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a left-wing activist organization funded by George Soros, which organized advertiser boycotts of right-wing news sites in the US.

When the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022, the commission switched its focus. Platforms were now pressured to “reduce disinformation on Ukraine in Central and Eastern Europe,” ensuring that audiences in these regions would not receive pro-Russian content. By April, YouTube told the commission that it “removed more than 80,000 videos and 9,000 channels” for “minimizing or trivializing Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.”

What was meant by “trivializing” the conflict was never explained, but the answer appeared to satisfy the EU.

What is the DSA?

Before the Digital Services Act (DSA) was passed in 2022, the EU counted on platforms adhering to its ‘voluntary’ codes of conduct. The act made these voluntary agreements legally binding. It allows the EU to fine tech platforms up to 6% of their global annual turnover if they fail to restrict the “dissemination of illegal content” and “address the spread of disinformation.”

The entire text of the DSA mentions the word “disinformation” 13 times without defining it.

EU officials repeatedly told tech executives that compliance with their nebulous ‘hate speech’ and ‘disinformation’ codes would protect them from enforcement under the DSA. The premise resembled a Mafia-style protection racket, with the deputy chief of the commission’s communications directorate telling platforms in 2024 that refusal to sign the codes of conduct “could be taken into account… when determining whether the provider is complying with the obligations laid down by the DSA.”

Threatened with legal action, TikTok rewrote its terms of service to ban “misinformation that undermines public trust,” “media presented out of context” and “misrepresent[ed] authoritative information.” As the Judiciary Committee noted in its report, “there is simply no way to enforce these rules fairly.”

“Before, we hoped for reputational damage on platforms, but we now have the law that we can apply,” EU regulator Prabhat Agarwal told Google staff in 2024.

Does the EU interfere in elections?

Since the DSA came into force in 2023, the European Commission has pressured platforms to censor content ahead of national elections in Slovakia, the Netherlands, France, Moldova, Romania, and Ireland, and during the EU elections in June 2024. The commission organized “rapid response systems,” which empowered pro-Brussels ‘fact checkers’ flag content for removal. Platforms that failed to remove this content would be punished with “enforcement actions” under the DSA, the commission explained at a meeting before the EU elections.

The most egregious case of EU meddling took place in Romania in 2024, when independent candidate CalinGeorgescu won a shock first-round victory. Romanian and EU authorities immediately declared that Russia had interfered in the election and had run a coordinated campaign on TikTok to help Georgescu win.

TikTok found no evidence of Russian interference, and told the commission that it had actually been asked to censor pro-Georgescu content by authorities in Bucharest. This content included “disrespectful” posts that “insult the [ruling] PSD party.” Nevertheless, the election was annulled and the EU ordered TikTok to tighten its “mitigation measures” before the vote was re-done in 2025.

Why do the Americans care?

Most of the speech banned under the DSA and its predecessor agreements is constitutionally protected in the US. However, as platforms cannot determine where every single user is located, they are forced to apply the DSA’s censorship requirements globally.

The European Commission has also deliberately targeted US content for censorship. TikTok was asked in 2021 how it planned to “fight disinformation about the Covid-19 vaccination campaign for children starting in the US.”

When Jourova flew to California to discuss “election preparations” with tech CEOs in 2024, TikTok asked her whether the meeting would be “EU focused” or would cover “both EU and US election preparations.” Jourova replied, “both.” Later that year, former EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton threatened X with retaliatory “measures” under the DSA if Elon Musk went ahead with a live interview with then-candidate Donald Trump in the US.

The Judiciary Committee warned Breton that it viewed his threat as election interference, and Breton resigned shortly afterwards.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/631980-us-eu-censorship/

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Africa

 

Epstein Emails Name Okonjo-Iweala, Emir Sanusi, Tony Blair, Others As Proposed Private Dinner Guests

February 4, 2026

By George OshogweOgbolu

An email correspondence released from the newly declassified Jeffrey Epstein files has shown that Nigeria’s former Finance Minister and current Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr NgoziOkonjo-Iweala, and the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, were proposed as potential guests for a private dinner with the late American financier in 2018.

The email, dated May 21, 2018, was released on Friday as part of about 3.5 million documents made public by the United States Department of Justice in connection with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in custody in 2019.

The documents, obtained by Premium Times, have renewed public scrutiny over Epstein’s extensive social network, as well as questions surrounding redactions and the selective release of records, given that U.S. authorities have acknowledged holding about six million pages in total.

The email thread was between Epstein and Jide Zeitlin, a Nigerian-American business executive and former Chairman and CEO of Tapestry Inc., the parent company of luxury brands Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman.

In the exchange, Epstein requested that Mr Zeitlin suggest “two or three people that think out of the box” to attend a “fun dinner” planned for June 2018.

Responding, Mr Zeitlin proposed a list of prominent global figures, including Dr Okonjo-Iweala and Emir Sanusi, both of whom previously served as governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

At the time of the email, Dr Okonjo-Iweala had been out of Nigerian government since 2015 but held several international roles, including Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Mr Sanusi was serving as Emir of Kano.

Other proposed guests listed by Mr Zeitlin included Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist; Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister; Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the Qatari Emir; Tony Marx, President of the New York Public Library; and Niall Ferguson, a British-American historian.

Mr Zeitlin described Mr Sanusi as “probably the most out of the box name” on the list, adding that the suggested names represented “different levels of originality.”

The correspondence did not confirm whether invitations were sent or whether the proposed dinner eventually took place.

Reacting, Paul Nwabuikwu, media adviser to Dr Okonjo-Iweala, said the WTO chief never had any interaction with Epstein and was unaware of any invitation to attend his gatherings.

“She didn’t know him and had no contact with him. Epstein was a high-level influence peddler, and names were often floating around him,” Nwabuikwu said.

Similarly, Bashir Jentile, spokesperson to the Emir of Kano, said he was not aware of any invitation extended to the emir.

Documents released by U.S. authorities show that Epstein frequently organised elite social gatherings attended by influential figures from politics, business and academia, even after his 2008 conviction.

The BBC earlier reported that former South African President Jacob Zuma attended a dinner hosted by Epstein in London in 2010.

Although presence at such gatherings does not imply involvement in Epstein’s crimes, his continued access to global elites despite his criminal record has remained a major point of controversy.

Epstein was first investigated in 2005 after allegations of sexual abuse involving underage girls in Palm Beach, Florida. He later pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting sex from minors and served a short jail term.

He was rearrested in July 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges involving minors but died by suicide in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial.

His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted in 2021 for facilitating the abuse of underage girls.

Source: naijanews.com

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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/02/04/epstein-emails-name-okonjo-iweala-emir-sanusi-tony-blair-others-as-proposed-private-dinner-guests/

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‘Pure Massacre’ – KwaraGovt Confirms Terrorists Killed 75 Over Islamic Doctrine

February 05, 2026

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahmanAbdulRazaq, has disclosed that no fewer than 75 residents were killed during a brutal terrorist attack on two villages in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state.

Naija News reports that the governor made the disclosure on Wednesday during a visit to the affected communities, where he was accompanied by security chiefs and members of the state executive council.

The attacks occurred on Tuesday evening in Woro and Nuku villages, where armed men reportedly stormed the communities, rounded up residents, tied their hands and opened fire indiscriminately.

Confirming the incident, the Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, AdetounEjire-Adeyemi, said the attack began around 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

She added that security agencies have since been deployed to the area, noting that investigations are ongoing, particularly regarding missing persons, while casualty figures were still being verified.

However, AbdulRazaq insisted that at least 75 villagers were killed, describing the attack as a cowardly act of terror carried out by extremists frustrated by the community’s resistance.

A video shared on the Kwara State Government’s official X handle showed the governor addressing traditional rulers and survivors in a palace setting, flanked by military officers and community leaders.

“We commiserate with you over the death of 75 of your subjects. May Allah grant them AljanaFirdaus,” AbdulRazaq said.

“And from the information I’ve been getting, this village refused to succumb to a perverted form of Islamic doctrine.

“They are lying under their immolation, abiding by their Islamic faith. These villagers did not want any alteration.

“And because they refused to change their doctrine, they were attacked and massacred.”

The governor added that unlike previous attacks involving kidnapping or looting, the incident was a deliberate mass killing.

“This was not about ransacking or abduction. This was a pure massacre, and it is something we totally condemn,” he said.

AbdulRazaq announced that Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion to the area under Operation Savannah Shield to pursue the attackers and restore security.

He assured residents that the federal and state governments would not abandon the affected communities and that decisive action was underway to neutralise the terrorist threat in the Kainji–Kaiama axis.

Source: naijanews.com

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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/02/05/pure-massacre-kwara-govt-confirms-terrorists-killed-75-over-islamic-doctrine/

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US, UN launch humanitarian fund with $700m for war-ravaged Sudan

February 04, 2026

CAIRO, TINE, CHAD: The US and the UN are seeking to rally international support for humanitarian aid to war-ravaged Sudan, kicking off a new Sudan Humanitarian Fund with $700 million.

The Trump administration said it would contribute $200 million to the initiative from a basket of $2 billion it set aside late last year to fund humanitarian projects around the world. Several other participants promised they would make pledges but did not specify amounts.

“Today we are signaling that the international community will work together to bring this suffering to an end, and to ensure lifesaving aid reaches communities in such desperate, desperate need,” said UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, who heads the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA.

Fletcher co-hosted the fundraising event in Washington with US senior adviser for Arab and African affairs MassadBoulos.

Fletcher said they have set the beginning of Ramadan, on Feb. 17, as a date “to make visible progress on this work.”

Boulos said the US has put forward a “comprehensive proposal” for a humanitarian truce that could be agreed on in the next few weeks.

Sudan has been in the throes of war since 2023, with the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary force and the Sudanese military clashing for power over the country.  The UN estimates that over 40,000 people have been killed in the war, but consider that the true number could be many times higher.

The conflict created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with over 14 million people forced to flee their homes and with famine declared in several regions of Sudan.

Fighting has concentrated in the Kordofan regions recently after the RSF took over El-Fasher, one of the army’s last strongholds in the Darfur region. But the military has since been making gains in Kordofan by breaking a siege in Kadugli and the neighboring town of Dilling. On Tuesday, the Sudanese military announced that it had opened a crucial road between Kadugli and Dilling.

The RSF launched a drone attack Tuesday that hit a medical center in Kadugli, killing 15 people including seven children, according to Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks the war. Meanwhile, in Tine, neighboring Chad, medical staff treated refugee Mahamat Hamid Abakar for a serious head wound from a drone attack using bandages and compresses outside the city hospital.

The 33-year-old, who fled his native Sudan as war erupted nearly three years ago, had just had a 5 mm metal fragment removed from his skull. Most of the wounded crossing the border are victims of drones, which have been heavily deployed by both sides in the conflict.

Sitting in the back of a pick-up truck, Abakar was traveling at night to deliver flour and sugar from Chad to his family who have stayed in Sudan.

“I was attacked by a drone in the area of Um Baru in Sudan three days ago,” he said, despite difficulties in talking.

Three other occupants of the vehicle — two men and a woman — were burned to death in the explosion.

The travel companion seated next to him died from his injuries the next morning, shortly after being picked up by rescue teams, who transported them to the Chadian border 150 km away.

Set on a hill overlooking a parched river marking the border, the hospital at Tine is on the front line for receiving wounded Sudanese.

“Since the capture of El-Fasher at the end of October, we have taken in a thousand Sudanese,” said AwadallahYassineMahamat, a carer from Sudan’s western region of Darfur who volunteers at the hospital after fleeing to Tine a year and a half ago.

El Fasher is the state capital of North Darfur.

“In Darfur, many hospitals, health centers and even pharmacies were destroyed during fighting,” he said, showing photographs on his phone of emaciated and charred bodies at the hospital where he worked before leaving.

Dressed in a thick, black jacket, the man in his 40s said most victims arriving in Chad had fractures following drone attacks.

In recent weeks, the wounded have flooded in from border areas being attacked by RSF forces.

Abakar Abdallah Kahwaya and MahamatAbakarHamdan, both aged 27, said they had been fighting for an army-aligned faction led by Darfur Gov. MinniMinnawi.

They have been in hospital for two weeks after being wounded during clashes with the RSF in Girgira, a Sudanese town about 50 km south of Tine.

“We put down our weapons to enter Chad and receive treatment,” said Kahwaya, who has an abdomen wound. “But as soon as we can fight again, we’ll return to Sudan,” Hamdan added.

Mahamat, the volunteer caregiver, stressed that the hospital accepted anyone who was wounded, whether civilian or combatant — but acknowledged the limits of the care the hospital was able to give.

“We’re short on caregivers and they are not sufficiently trained to care for all the wounded,” he said.

But the wounds are not only physical — treating the mental distress of refugees poses a significant challenge.

“The lack of resources and prospects in the camps further increases their vulnerability,” said Kindi Hassan, a mental health official with the International Rescue Committee at the Goudrane camp, which accommodates around 60,000 refugees.

Hassan was helping 30-year-old Asma who escaped an RSF attack on Zamzam, the largest refugee camp in North Darfur, in April.

In tears, the woman recounted the day she spent holed up in a makeshift bunker dug beneath her home before managing to get out of the camp.

She left behind the bodies of 11 family members killed in a bombing.

“Soldiers arrested me and three friends as we were fleeing,” she said, wiping away the tears with her headscarf.

“They beat us with the butts of their rifles until we couldn’t walk anymore and took turns raping us until the morning,” she said.

Medicine now helps to keep at bay the images that had haunted her and stopped her sleeping.

“Mental health is stigmatized and most cases of post-traumatic stress are kept quiet,” Hassan, of the IRC, said.

She said refugees waited a long time before talking about their trauma, adding: “Our response is inadequate to meet the enormous needs.”

Four NGOs are caring for the mental health of victims of conflict in Goudrane camp, including the IRC, which has helped almost 800 people in a year.

If additional resources don’t arrive, the plight of refugees in Chad’s camps risks worsening, warned Hassan, who spoke of an increasing trend of “suicidal thoughts.”

“Some people even go so far as to poison or hang themselves to escape their distress,” she said.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2631766/middle-east

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Tinubu praises Muslims slaughtered by Boko Haram, sends soldiers to Kwara

February 05, 2026

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kaiama LGA in Kwara after Boko Haram terrorists killed hapless villagers in Woro and Nuku communities.

Presidential spokesperson BayoOnanuga, who announced the military deployment in a statement on Wednesday, said the new military command would spearhead Operation Savannah Shield to checkmate the barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities.

According to the statement, Mr Tinubu “expressed rage that the attackers killed the community members who rejected their obnoxious attempt at indoctrination, choosing instead to practice Islam that is neither extreme nor violent”.

“It’s commendable that the community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a weird belief that promoted violence over peace and dialogue,” the president stated.

Source: gazettengr.com

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Kano court reduces bail for Islamic cleric accused of forgery

February 4, 2026

A Kano State High Court presided over by Justice JamiluShehu Suleiman has varied the bail conditions imposed on Islamic cleric Ibrahim Abdullahi Isa, who is allegedly involved in the forgery of title documents for two landed properties on Ahmadu Bello Way in the Kano Metropolis.

The cleric was alleged to have forged land title documents originally bearing the names of Kassim Usman Baba and AuduYaroFagge.

He was earlier, on January 21, arraigned and subsequently imposed stringent bail conditions at the Senior Magistrate Court, presided over by Mustapha Sa’adDatti.

The defendant was initially granted N20 million bail with two reliable sureties in the like sum.

The court further ordered that one of the sureties must be a traditional leader with an authorised letter from the Kano Emirate Council.

According to the magistrate, the other surety must be a prominent businessman who owns landed property valued at N50 million within the Kano Metropolis.

The presiding magistrate also directed the cleric to deposit his international passport with the court registry.

However, after two weeks without complying with the bail conditions, the cleric, on Wednesday, through his counsel, Barrister AbubakarAbdullahi Isa and Bashir Sabiu, approached the Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Suleiman, seeking a review of the bail conditions imposed on the defendant.

In his submission, the counsel argued that the offence against the defendant is bailable and that the conditions imposed by the trial magistrate were unduly stringent, and prayed for relaxation.

After hearing submissions from both counsel, Justice Suleiman ordered that N5 million should replace the N20 million earlier imposed by the trial magistrate.

Justice Suleiman further directed that two reliable sureties be provided, one being his counsel, Barrister AbubakarAbdullahi Isa, and the other any of his siblings who will depose to an affidavit of means.

Source: punchng.com

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https://punchng.com/kano-court-reduces-bail-for-islamic-cleric-accused-of-forgery/

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Owode-Onirin Traders Urge Federal Government To Probe Market Demolition In Lagos

February 05, 2026

Traders at the Owode-Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market in Lagos State have appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in what they describe as an unlawful and politically motivated demolition of their business premises.

Speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday, February 4, the traders rejected claims attributed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, OlohunwaIshola, who reportedly suggested during a visit to the market on January 28 that land grabbers were responsible for the incident.

The traders insisted that the demolition was not the handiwork of land grabbers but a coordinated action allegedly carried out by the Lagos State Government.

Abiodun Akeem Ariori, who has been named in the controversy, denied any involvement in land grabbing and challenged the police to present evidence to support the allegation. He maintained that he is a law-abiding citizen and called for transparency in the investigation.

A member of the market committee, Abiodun Hameed, described the police commissioner’s remarks as misleading and inconsistent with the facts available to the traders.

He argued that documentary evidence in their possession contradicts the narrative that criminal elements were behind the demolition.

According to Hameed, the Owode-Onirin Market has existed for over six decades and was officially relocated to its current location in 1979 by a former Lagos State governor after the traders’ previous site was earmarked for public use.

“We have remained law-abiding citizens, carrying out our trading activities peacefully and paying all dues and taxes to government agents,” Hameed said.

He further alleged that attempts to dismantle the market began about two years ago under the leadership of Dele Osinowo, who was then Chairman of the Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area. This, he said, prompted the traders to begin processing formal ownership and legal documentation for the land.

The traders also claimed that multiple state agencies were involved in the demolition, including the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Lagos State Task Force, Kick Against Indiscipline, as well as personnel from the Nigerian Army and the Police. They alleged that hundreds of armed security operatives were deployed during the exercise.

In addition, the traders accused Ariori of arriving at the site with armed individuals to secure the land after the demolition. They further claimed that a subsequent attack on traders led to the deaths of six people.

They expressed concern that no government official has publicly addressed or condemned the alleged killings. According to them, several peaceful protests to the Lagos State House of Assembly have so far failed to yield any response or resolution.

Calling for urgent intervention, the traders appealed to the Federal Government to launch an independent investigation into the demolition, protect their livelihoods and ensure that they are allowed to return to lawful trading activities.

Source: naijanews.com

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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/02/05/owode-onirin-traders-urge-federal-government-to-probe-market-demolition-in-lagos/

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Coup Plot: Falana Faults FG, Says Suspects Can’t Face Court Martial

February 05, 2026

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has faulted the Federal Government’s plan to try military officers accused of plotting a coup against President Bola Tinubu before a court martial, insisting that the offence is criminal in nature and must be prosecuted under the Criminal Code Act.

Naija News reports that Falana made this known in a statement released from Lagos, reacting to last week’s confirmation by the Defence Headquarters that some military officers, along with civilian collaborators, had plotted to overthrow the Tinubu administration in October 2025.

The lawyer referred specifically to Section 41 of the Criminal Code Act, which prescribes life imprisonment for any individual who attempts to depose the President or overawe the government by force.

The Defence Headquarters last week broke its months-long silence on the controversial report by Sahara Reporters that 16 officers, ranging from captain to brigadier general, were arrested in October 2025 for holding clandestine meetings to topple the government.

At the time, the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. TukurGusau, dismissed the report as sensational, insisting the issue was an internal disciplinary matter. However, the Defence Intelligence Agency later confirmed that a full investigation was carried out and findings would be made public.

Providing an update, the new Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. SamailaUba, disclosed that the investigation had been concluded in line with military procedures and that the suspects would be tried before a military tribunal.

Also addressing the development, Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, stated that the accused would be subjected to court-martial proceedings in line with military regulations.

Falana, in his reaction, wrote, “Even though I am involved in the ongoing campaign against unconstitutional change of governments in Africa, I am compelled to point out that the alleged coup plotters cannot be tried by a court martial or any other military tribunal under the current democratic dispensation. Since the military officers implicated in the coup plot had wanted to remove an elected President from office, it is a grave crime that must be tried under the Criminal Code Act. It is pertinent to state that the alleged coup plotters can only be tried under section 41 of the Criminal Code Act which stipulates that anyone who forms an intention to depose the President, during his term of office, or to overawe the government by criminal force, and manifests such intention by an overt act, is guilty of a felony and liable to life imprisonment.

“Those who are mounting pressure on the Federal Government to have the alleged coup plotters tried by a court-martial should study the case of UmoruMandara vs Attorney-General of the Federation (1984) 4 S.C 8. In that case, the appellant was tried at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a four-count charge of treasonable felony, incitement to mutiny, and attempting to cause disaffection. At the end of the marathon trial, the defendant was convicted and sentenced to a 15-year jail term. But the Supreme Court quashed his conviction on the ground that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to have tried the appellant. The Constitution has conferred jurisdiction on the Federal High Court to try treason and allied offences.

“However, with the overthrow of President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983, the Constitution was suspended and modified while the country was ruled by decrees and edicts promulgated by the head of state and governors, respectively. Some of the obnoxious decrees were hurriedly enacted to deal with perceived political opponents. For instance, when the military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, discovered that General MammanVatsa and the other military officers could only be sentenced to life imprisonment under section 41 of the Criminal Code Act, the Treason and Other Offences (Special Military Tribunal) Decree 1 of 1986 was promulgated.

“The Treason Decree provided the death penalty for treason and treasonable felony. Even though the alleged coup plotters had been arrested in December 1985, they were tried under the Treason Decree that was promulgated on January 6, 1986. Thus, they were convicted by a military tribunal and executed in a premeditated manner. Contrary to General Babangida’s claim that he killed Vatsa, his close friend, because his hands were tied by the law, this claim is completely misleading. Major Gideon Orkar and his colleagues, who attempted but failed to assassinate General Babangida and dismember Nigeria on April 22, 1990, knew the consequences of their action under the applicable law. Hence, Nigerians were not surprised when the coup plotters were tried, convicted, sentenced to death and executed under the Treason Decree.

“The next group of alleged coup plotters were arrested in May 1992. The five suspects were charged with conspiracy and treasonable felony under section 41 of the Criminal Code Act. Since they were civilians, they were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court in Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory. The allegation was that they had embarked on a ‘Babangida Must Go’ campaign throughout Nigeria. The late Chief GaniFawehinmi and I were among the five defendants. Since we were held incommunicado, we appeared for ourselves and our comrades.

“While praying for our bail, Fawehinmi said that it was an irony that Babangida and his comrade-in-arms, who ought to have stood trial for overthrowing the Shehu Shagari government in December 1981, have turned to charge us with treasonable felony for campaigning against the criminal manipulation of his political transition programme. On my own part, I submitted that section 41 of the Criminal Act provides for the formation of an intention to remove the president from office during his term of office. I concluded that since the General had no fixed term of office, the law was not to protect a military dictator but an elected President who has a maximum term of eight years.

“Upon confirming that we had planned to use the case to put the serial coup plotters in power on trial, the prosecutor abandoned our trial. Hence, the charge was dismissed for want of diligent prosecution, while we were discharged. Thereafter, Babangida promulgated the Treason and Treasonable Offences Decree No 29 of 1993, which empowered the former military junta to set up military tribunals to try coup plotters. The military and civilians, including journalists who were arrested for planning the phantom coup d’etat of 1995, were tried in camera under the Treason and Treasonable Offences Decree.

“The trial of the civilians by the military tribunal could not be justified in law. In Media Rights Agenda v. Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 5, the commission determined that the arraignment, trial and conviction of civilians by a Special Military Tribunal presided over by serving military officers, violated the basic principles of fair hearing guaranteed by article 7 of the Charter, as well as the duty to guarantee the independence of the courts under article 26.63. Citing its Resolution on the Right to a Fair Trial and Legal Aid in Africa, the commission stated that military courts “should not, in any circumstances whatsoever, have jurisdiction over civilians. Similarly, Special Tribunals should not try offences that fall within the jurisdiction of regular courts”.

“It is on record that the Treason and Treasonable Offences Decree No 29 of 1993 was one of the anti-democratic laws that were repealed by General AbdulsalamiAbubakar to pave the way for the restoration of civil rule in the country with effect from May 29, 1999. However, based on the decision of Justice DolapoAkinsanya of the Lagos High Court which sacked the Interim National Government headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan on November 10, 1993, the authors of the 1999 Constitution inserted section 251(2) thereof to the effect that: “The Federal High Court shall have and exercise jurisdiction and powers in respect of treason, treasonable felony and allied offences.”

“Another reason why the alleged coup plotters cannot be tried in a court-martial is the alleged involvement of some civilians in the plot. Since the indicted civilians are not subject to service law, they cannot be tried in a military court. Even in the case of Chief MoshoodAbiola vs The Federal Republic of Nigeria (1995) 1 NWLR (Pt.370) 155, the defendant was charged with treasonable felony at the Federal High Court. Similarly, in the case of AmehEbute vs State (1994) 8 NWLR (Pt 360) 66, the defendants, including Senator Bola Tinubu (now President), were charged with treason at the Federal High Court.

“The illegal practice of prosecuting civilians in military courts has just been stopped by the Supreme Court of Uganda in the case of Dr KizzaBesigye& Another vs Attorney General and Another (Miscellaneous Cause 31 of 2025) [2025] UGHCCD 29 (24 February 2025). In that case, Dr KizzaBesigye and Haji Obeid Lutale were brutally abducted from Nairobi, Kenya, on November 16, 2024, transferred to Uganda, and illegally detained at Makindye military barracks. They were arraigned before the General Court Martial on November 20, 2024, for charges including security offences and possession of firearms. They challenged the legal competence of the trial. On January 31, 2025, the Supreme Court held that military courts lacked jurisdiction to try civilians and ordered officials to halt all ongoing military trials of civilians and transfer them to the country’s civilian court system.

“In view of the foregoing, the case file of the alleged coup plotters should be forwarded to the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation without any further delay. Upon the receipt of the case file, the Attorney-General should study it and file a charge of treasonable felony at the Federal High Court pursuant to section 251(2) of the 1999 Constitution. The military authorities who have threatened to try the alleged coup plotters in a military court should be advised to appreciate that the plot to sack a civilian regime is not a military affair. In any case, the decree for the trial of coup plotters being relied on by the military officers, has been repealed, while treasonable felony is not one of the offences listed in the Armed Forces Act.”

Source: naijanews.com

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Southeast Asia

 

Indonesia to play balancing role in Trump's Board of Peace

February 5, 2026

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s inclusion in the Board of Peace (BoP), initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, will position the country as a balancing power among major players in the organization, according to a former Indonesian foreign minister.

Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesia’s foreign minister from 2001 to 2009, explained that the country decided to join the BoP following a series of consultations with partners on the sidelines of the last UN General Assembly session, as well as separate consultations with seven Muslim-majority countries.

"Eight Muslim countries can serve as a balancing power on the Board of Peace, including on decisions that the organization will take," Wirajuda stated after meeting President PrabowoSubianto at the Presidential Palace complex here on Wednesday.

"There are concerns that Trump has extraordinary powers and that there may be a lack of checks on it, but at least the presence of eight Muslim countries can balance the process in the Board of Peace," he added.

Addressing concerns that the BoP may operate outside or undermine the UN framework, Wirajuda said it should not be viewed a priori, noting that many international conflicts have been resolved through mechanisms outside the UN system.

Meanwhile, Wirajuda considered the meeting with President Prabowo as a valuable opportunity to get a thorough explanation from the head of state, especially on his decision to bring Indonesia into BoP.

Wirajuda also said he understood that, because many aspects of diplomacy are confidential, incomplete information from mass or social media could lead to premature conclusions, which were later clarified during the Wednesday audience with the president.

At the same occasion, AlwiShihab, Indonesia's foreign minister from 1999 to 2001, stated that during the audience, President Prabowo emphasized that Indonesia's inclusion in the BoP is to support the Palestinian cause and the realization of the two-state solution.

Shihab also noted that President Prabowo had assured Indonesia may withdraw from the BoP if its later decisions or activities violate the constitution.

"The president said that if the Board of Peace is not in line with the aspirations of the Indonesian nation, we can conveniently withdraw from the organization," the former foreign minister remarked.

Source: antaranews.com

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MITRA under KESUMA will continue safeguarding Indian Community Welfare – Ramanan

5 Feb 2026

Human Resource Minister R. Ramanan assures MITRA’s move to KESUMA strengthens Indian community development without compromising welfare or social mobility

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA) may be under the Human Resource Ministry (KESUMA), but that doesn’t alter its original mandate of being an agency specifically responsible for the socio-economic development of the Indian community.

Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said that, instead, the move has strengthened the MADANI Government’s commitment to ensuring the agenda of welfare, social mobility and human capital development of the Indian community is implemented in a more integrated and high-impact manner.

“In this regard, the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) is of the view that placing MITRA under KESUMA will not affect that principle, but instead strengthen MITRA’s position by comprehensively integrating the agenda of Indian community development into the country’s human resource development,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was replying to a question from KalamSalan (PN-SabakBernam), who asked if the government could assure that placing MITRA under KESUMA wouldn’t jeopardise the interests and welfare of the Indian community, given the ministry’s existing heavy workload.

Ramanan said the move was done to ensure the planning, implementation and monitoring of MITRA programmes could be done in an organised, systematic and effective manner, in line with the policies of workforce development, employability, skills improvement and social protection under KESUMA.

Source: thesun.my

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Indonesia, Algeria seek to boost Muslim tourism cooperation

February 5, 2026

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia and Algeria have agreed to strengthen tourism cooperation to expand Muslim travel, tap the North African market, and deepen bilateral relations, an official said.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Ni LuhPuspa said a recent meeting with a delegation from Algeria's National People's Assembly in Jakarta opened opportunities for skills transfer benefiting tourism workers, small businesses, local tour guides, and investors.

"This is a strategic opportunity to strengthen the North African market and develop Muslim tourism, while encouraging knowledge transfer," Ni Luh said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Post-pandemic data shows Algerian tourist arrivals to Indonesia have increased by around 25 percent, alongside rising bilateral trade, underscoring momentum for tourism growth and joint destination promotion, the ministry said.

Ni Luh said the Algerian delegation expressed interest in Indonesia's experience in developing religious and nature-based tourism, which are priority segments for both countries.

She added that both sides also share a vision to expand cultural tourism to boost visitor numbers through distinctive, value-added tourism offerings.

Meanwhile, the ministry's Deputy for Resources and Institutions, Martini Mohammad Paham, said cooperation remains at an early stage and will focus on legislative support, sustainable tourism promotion, and a conducive investment climate.

Source: antaranews.com

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‘Just one study’: Perikatan MPs dismiss survey showing majority Malays back KL mayoral elections

By Syed JaymalZahiid

05 Feb 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — PerikatanNasional federal lawmakers today dismissed a study that found over half of Malays in the capital city support mayoral elections, describing it as “just one study” while insisting their view that ethnic Bumiputera oppose local polls is factual.

Local council elections, once an election promise by PakatanHarapan that was later scrapped, are again at the centre of public debate after De facto Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh said the government had commissioned a study into opening up Kuala Lumpur’s mayoral post for contest.

Two weeks ago, Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PKR) revealed the findings of a poll conducted by pollster Invoke, which showed 51 per cent of Malays surveyed backed the idea.

Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said at a press conference in Parliament here that he believed “overall” Malays remain resistant to the idea of opening up the mayoral post for contest, although he did not provide data to substantiate his claim.

“That is just one study. There may be different studies that would have different outcomes. But overall, we don’t have to be hypocrites lah — if we ask the majority of Malays, they will say they don’t want mayoral elections,” the Kota Bharu MP asserted.

Source: malaymail.com

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MEF backs direct hiring of foreign workers, says move will cut costs and protect labour rights

05 Feb 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — The Human Resources Ministry’s (Kesuma) initiative to develop a pathway enabling Malaysian employers to directly hire foreign workers is seen as a necessary move to curb excessive recruitment costs, address the lack of transparency and prevent the exploitation of foreign workers by intermediaries.

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said discussions with foreign embassies showed broad agreement on the need for a recruitment framework that reduces unnecessary costs, removes middlemen, and ensures workers understand and consent to their employment terms before arrival.

He emphasised that foreign labour remains a critical resource for Malaysia’s economy, particularly in sectors where local participation remains low.

“MEF expressed confidence that the proposed government-to-government, technology-enabled recruitment model, including digital verification and secure payment mechanisms, will significantly improve Malaysia’s labour governance ecosystem if implemented consistently and with stakeholder consultation.

“MEF stands ready to continue working closely with Kesuma, the Home Ministry and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that this initiative is sustainable, transparent and aligned with international best practices,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Syed Hussain also commended Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan for his proactive leadership in addressing key challenges faced by employers and foreign workers.

He said MEF has consistently advocated for all labour-related matters to be placed under the purview of Kesuma, with immigration requirements remaining under the Home Ministry. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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Unilateral conversion of minors is constitutional, govt counsel argues in Indira Gandhi Suit

05 Feb 2026

KUALA LUMPUR — A minor’s conversion to Islam requires the consent of only one parent, not both, a senior federal counsel argued in the High Court today, challenging the landmark 2018 Federal Court ruling in the case of M. Indira Gandhi.

Appearing for the federal government, Ahmad HanirHambaly asserted that the word “parent” in Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution should be interpreted in its singular form, giving either the mother or the father the right to decide a child's religion.

This argument was made during the hearing of a fresh lawsuit filed by Indira Gandhi and 13 others, who are challenging the constitutionality of state laws in seven states that allow for the unilateral conversion of minors, Free Malaysia Today reported.

The plaintiffs argue that these laws in Perlis, Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Johor, and the federal territories are unconstitutional, citing the 2018 Federal Court decision in Indira’s own case.

That ruling held that the word “parent” in Article 12(4) must be read as plural, meaning the consent of both parents is required for a child's conversion.

However, Hanir contended that the 2018 ruling was fact-specific to Indira's case and that applying a blanket rule of mutual consent "oversimplifies the complicated concept of the welfare of children."

The plaintiffs are seeking a court declaration that all unilateral conversions carried out in the seven states since the 2018 decision be invalidated.

They are also seeking an order that all such conversions be reversed if either parent objects.

The suit is the latest chapter in Indira's nearly 18-year battle.

Her daughter, PrasanaDiksa, was abducted by her ex-husband, Riduan Abdullah, in 2009 when she was just 11 months old.

Riduan had converted all three of their children to Islam without Indira's consent.

In 2018, the Federal Court nullified those conversions and ordered the police to arrest Riduan and return the child. To date, both Riduan and Prasana remain missing.

Justice Aliza Sulaiman has fixed May 21 for her decision in the current suit.

Source: malaymail.com

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Hannah Yeoh outlines 5 key strategies to elevate Federal Territories in 2026

5 Feb 2026

Minister Hannah Yeoh unveils plans to boost sustainability, safety, wellbeing, and SDGs, making Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan top places to live

KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh has outlined five key strategies for 2026 aimed at making the Federal Territories the best places to live.

She said the first strategy focuses on building a sustainable living ecosystem anchored in integrity, while the second aims to comprehensively improve urban cleanliness.

“The third strategy is to strengthen public safety through better flood mitigation, followed by a fourth focused on people’s wellbeing, while the fifth centres on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in cities,” she said.

She was speaking in her address at the Federal Territories investiture ceremony, held in conjunction with Federal Territory Day 2026 at Istana Negara, today.

Hannah said all the strategies were designed to support national development and keep the Federal Territories at the heart of the MADANI economy.

On specific plans, Hannah said Kuala Lumpur will be reinforced as an economic hub, Putrajaya will remain the administrative centre and Labuan will be developed as a blue economy and tourism hub in Borneo.

Hannah said the Federal Territories’ current economic performance is encouraging, with Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya posting 62 per cent GDP growth and Labuan 5.4 per cent, surpassing the national average of 5.1 per cent.

She also pledged to uphold clean governance, committing to zero tolerance for corruption or abuse of power in all Federal Territories initiatives, in line with the government’s goal of building a sustainable living ecosystem, with integrity as the foundation of public trust.

“I humbly express my deepest gratitude for the guidance of Your Majesty, who has always emphasised the utmost importance of trust, integrity, and clean governance in the administration of the nation,” she said.

She also expressed her gratitude to Sultan Ibrahim for consenting to her appointment as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

“I, together with all officials of the Federal Territories Department and its agencies, pledge our full commitment to strengthen the Federal Territories for the wellbeing of the people,” she said.

Earlier, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, conferred federal awards, decorations and medals on 54 individuals in conjunction with the 2026 Federal Territory Day celebrations.

Source: thesun.my

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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/hannah-yeoh-outlines-5-key-strategies-to-elevate-federal-territories-in-2026/

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South Asia

 

Meeting on Preservation of Cultural and Historical Heritage Held in Nimroz

February 5, 2026

KABUL: A coordination meeting on the preservation of cultural and historical heritage was held in Nimroz province, the Ministry of Information and Culture said in a statement on Wednesday.

The meeting brought together department officials and numerous cultural experts to discuss strategies for safeguarding the province’s historical sites and artifacts.

The officials emphasized that it is the duty of the authorities to protect ancient sites and historical monuments.

They reaffirmed the Islamic Emirate’s commitment to preserving historical and cultural locations across the country.

The meeting also served as a platform for cultural experts to share their ideas and proposals, particularly in the fields of literature, culture, and innovation, to ensure that historical and cultural assets are preserved securely. Discussions included ways to protect and promote the historical forts of Nimroz province to wider audiences, highlighting the importance of both preservation and awareness.

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/meeting-on-preservation-of-cultural-and-historical-heritage-held-in-nimroz/

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Jamaat leader among 2 sued after fake ballot seal bust

5 Feb 2026

A local Jamaat leader and a printing shop owner have been sued over making fake ballot seals in Lakshmipur.

HumayunKabir, sub-inspector of Sadar Model Police Station, yesterday filed a case against Sohel Rana, 40, the shop owner, and Sourav Hossain Sharif, 35, secretary of Jamaat’s ward-4 unit of Lakshmipur municipality, said police.

JhalakMohanta, inspector (investigation) of the station, told The Daily Star yesterday that an investigation found Sohel made the seals and kept them in his shop “under the instructions of Jamaat leader Sharif”.

Sohel also made a confessional statement before a court under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, admitting his role, said Jhalak.

Meanwhile, SUM Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan, district Jamaatameer and candidate for Lakshmipur-2, said, “As soon as the allegations against Sharif surfaced following the seizure, we immediately expelled him from the party. A press release will be issued shortly.”

On Tuesday afternoon, police, acting on a tip-off, raided “Mariam Press” on Old Court Road in Lakshmipur town. During the drive, police seized six fake ballot seals, a mobile phone, and a computer.

Sohel was detained on the spot in the presence of Executive Magistrate Hasan Mahmud Nahid from the deputy commissioner’s office.

Md Abu Tareq, superintendent of Lakshmipur police, told this newspaper that police were trying to arrest the other accused.

The SP also noted that police obtained WhatsApp conversations and voice messages between the two regarding the production of the seals.

Expressing concern, BNP Joint Secretary General and candidate for Lakshmipur-3, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, said he learnt that Sohel is a Jamaat activist.

“There is a deep conspiracy; it is a blueprint for election engineering. Along with seals, there may even be attempts to print counterfeit ballots,” he told a press conference at Bashir Vila in the town on Tuesday night.

At a separate press conference that night, Rezaul Karim, secretary of Jamaat’s Dhaka city north unit and candidate for Lakshmipur-3, denied that Sohel had any ties with the party.

Regarding Sharif’s involvement, he said police should investigate the incident and ensure appropriate punishment for whoever is found guilty.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/jamaat-leader-among-2-sued-after-fake-ballot-seal-bust-4098546

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Development Projects to Be Implemented at Islam Qala Customs

February 5, 2026

HERAT: Work has begun on four major development projects worth 85 million Afghanis at Islam Qala Customs in Herat, the provincial governor’s press office said in a statement on Wednesday.

The projects include the construction of three storage hangars and the implementation of a wall fencing project to enhance the security of the customs area, the statement said.

The three hangars will have the capacity to store goods from approximately 60 trucks, providing secure facilities for merchants’ property.

In the coming year, additional projects are planned, including the construction of internal roads, a large parking area, cold storage facilities, and the expansion of other necessary infrastructure at the customs center, the statement added.

Officials said the execution of these projects will play a crucial role in reducing congestion, improving order, and enhancing the overall quality of customs services at the Islam Qala border.

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/development-projects-to-be-implemented-at-islam-qala-customs/

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Road Reconstruction Project Launched in Kandahar

February 5, 2026

KANDAHAR: The General Directorate for Municipal Affairs announced the launch of the reconstruction project for the BaghPul–Dand Square Road to address transportation challenges and support Kandahar’s urban development.

The project, valued at 1.4 billion Afghanis, will cover a 9-kilometer route with a width of 60 meters, the directorate said in a statement the other day.

The project will be completed within 18 months with full adherence to engineering standards, the statement added.

Residents expressed satisfaction with the launch, saying the new road will help resolve major transportation problems upon completion.

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/road-reconstruction-project-launched-in-kandahar/

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Cabinet Meeting Reviews Development Budget, Refugee Issues

February 5, 2026

KABUL: The 14th meeting of the Cabinet of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was held with the Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, on the chair, to review key economic, social, and cultural issues.

The Cabinet approved the report on the execution of the development budget and directed relevant ministries to ensure the timely implementation of planned projects, Arg said in a statement the other day.

The meeting also discussed challenges facing Afghan refugees and instructed relevant authorities to propose effective solutions for their support, the statement added.

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/cabinet-meeting-reviews-development-budget-refugee-issues/

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Kabul Hosts Fourth Counter-Narcotics Working Group Under Doha Process

February 5, 2026

KABUL: The fourth meeting of the Counter-Narcotics Working Group under the Doha Process was held in Kabul, hosted by UNAMA in both in-person and virtual formats.

Hafez Zia Ahmad Takal, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement the other day that Afghan officials reaffirmed that the Islamic Emirate has already demonstrated strong determination in combating narcotics.

Officials stated that counter-narcotics measures in Afghanistan have been fully implemented and that the benefits extend to neighboring countries and the wider international community.

They emphasized that preserving these gains requires responsibility, investment, cooperation, and coordinated efforts based on mutual trust.

Authorities also voiced concern over synthetic drugs, stressing that the sources of these substances lie outside Afghanistan’s borders.

Representatives of international organizations participating in the meeting praised Afghanistan’s post-2021 counter-narcotics achievements as unprecedented in the country’s history and reaffirmed their commitment to support ongoing efforts.

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/kabul-hosts-fourth-counter-narcotics-working-group-under-doha-process/

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MoUs Worth $587,401 Signed to Support Returnees in Kabul, Balkh

February 5, 2026

KABUL: The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said in a statement on Wednesday that it has signed two memorandums of understanding with a domestic organization worth $587,401 to support returnees, internally displaced persons, and host communities in Kabul and Balkh.

The MoUs aim to address the growing needs of vulnerable families by providing a combination of livelihood support and essential protection services.

According to the statement, a total of 13,489 individuals will benefit from the initiative, which includes job-creation programs designed to help families achieve long-term economic stability.

The project also covers the establishment of protection centers, where returnees and displaced persons can access counseling, legal guidance, and other forms of assistance.

Officials emphasized that the program reflects the ministry’s continued efforts to strengthen community resilience and ensure that returnees and displaced families receive the necessary support to reintegrate smoothly into society.

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/mous-worth-587401-signed-to-support-returnees-in-kabul-balkh/

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