Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Shamima Begum loses appeal over citizenship removal

Shamima Begum loses appeal over citizenship removal

A British-born woman who went to Syria as a schoolgirl to join the Daesh (Islamic State) lost her latest appeal against the UK government's decision to take away her citizenship on Wednesday (22).

Shamima Begum left London in 2015 aged 15 and travelled with two school friends to Syria, where she married a Daesh fighter and gave birth to three children, all of whom died as infants.


She was stripped of her British citizenship on national security grounds in 2019, shortly after she was found in a detention camp in Syria.

Begum, now 23, challenged that decision at a hearing in London in November, when her lawyers argued that Britain’s interior ministry, the Home Office, failed to investigate whether she was a "child victim of trafficking".

Her lawyers also argued that then-home secretary Sajid Javid had "pre-determined" that Begum's British citizenship should be revoked before he received any evidence from officials.

But lawyers representing the Home Office said Begum's case was about national security rather than trafficking, arguing that Begum had aligned with the Daesh and stayed in Syria for four years until 2019.

On Wednesday, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission – a specialist tribunal which hears appeals against decisions to remove citizenship on national security grounds – dismissed Begum’s appeal.

Announcing the tribunal's decision, Judge Robert Jay said there was a "credible suspicion" that Begum was trafficked to Syria, which he said was for the purposes of "sexual exploitation".

"There were arguable breaches of duty on the part of various state bodies in permitting Begum to leave the country as she did.

However, the "credible suspicion" that Begum was trafficked is insufficient for her appeal to succeed, Jay added.

Wednesday's ruling is itself likely to be appealed, though this was not immediately confirmed.

(Reuters)

More For You

Labour MPs Jeevun Sandher and Louise Jones marry in multicultural wedding

Louise Jones and Jeevun Sandher (Photo: Facebook)

Labour MPs Jeevun Sandher and Louise Jones marry in multicultural wedding

TWO of Labour’s newest MPs, Jeevun Sandher and Louise Jones, have announced their marriage after a week-long celebration that combined Sikh and Christian traditions.

Sandher, elected last year as MP for Loughborough, and Jones, MP for North East Derbyshire, tied the knot earlier this month in ceremonies that reflected their different cultural backgrounds. The couple shared photographs on social media, calling the occasion a celebration of “two heritages” as they began their life together.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK sees sharp increase in sex crime convictions of Indian nationals

Figures show a 257 per cent rise in convictions of Indian nationals for sexual offences between 2021 and 2024 (Photo:iStock)

UK sees sharp increase in sex crime convictions of Indian nationals

INDIAN nationals have recorded the sharpest increase in convictions for sexual offences among foreign nationals in the UK, according to an analysis of official government data.

Figures from the UK Ministry of Justice, based on the Police National Computer and assessed by the Centre for Migration Control (CMC), show a 257 per cent rise in convictions of Indian nationals for sexual offences between 2021 and 2024. The number of cases rose from 28 in 2021 to 100 last year — an increase of 72 cases.

Keep ReadingShow less
pashupatinath temple nepal

A general view of the Pashupatinath temple complex in Kathmandu on August 27, 2025.

Getty Images

Nepal court allows unclothed Hindu ascetics to enter Pashupatinath temple

NEPAL’s Supreme Court has ruled that Hindu holy men who follow the tradition of remaining unclothed cannot be barred from entering the Pashupatinath temple. The court said that nudity, when practised as a religious custom, is not the same as obscenity.

The ruling concerns the Naga sadhus, ascetics devoted to Lord Shiva who renounce family ties and worldly possessions, including clothing. Covered in ash and wearing dreadlocks, they are a familiar sight at the temple during major festivals.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi begins Asia tour to boost ‘Make in India’ and counter US pressure

Narendra Modi addresses the audience during the launch of Maruti Suzuki's new assembly line for the Suzuki e-Vitara, Maruti's first electric car, at the Hansalpur plant, some 80 km from Ahmedabad, in India's Gujarat state on August 26, 2025. (Photo by SAM PANTHAKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Modi begins Asia tour to boost ‘Make in India’ and counter US pressure

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi heads overseas on Thursday (28) to meet the leaders of China, Japan and Russia, seeking to build closer diplomatic ties as New Delhi battles fallout from US president Donald Trump's escalating tariff offensive.

By drawing nearer to some of the world’s largest economies, including his first visit to China in seven years, Modi hopes to to boost support for his flagship "Make in India" initiative, mainly from Japan, as Trump's measures spur new partnerships.

Keep ReadingShow less
house rent

Currently, rental income is exempt from national insurance, which is charged at 8 per cent on employee earnings.

iStock

UK landlords could face new tax in autumn budget

THE TREASURY is considering extending national insurance to rental income in the autumn budget, a move that could raise about £2bn.

Currently, rental income is exempt from national insurance, which is charged at 8 per cent on employee earnings.

Keep ReadingShow less