Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Shamima Begum prepared to face terror charges in UK

A woman who lost her British citizenship after joining the Islamic State (Daesh) group said on Wednesday (15) she would be prepared to return to face terror charges so she can prove her innocence.

Shamima Begum was 15 when she travelled from her home in London in 2015 with two school friends to Syria, where she married an Daesh fighter and had three children.


Dubbed "IS bride", she was stripped of her British citizenship after a right-wing media outrage when she was tracked down by reporters to a displacement camp in 2019 and defended the jihadists.

The Supreme Court earlier this year rejected her permission on public safety grounds to return to Britain to challenge the government's decision.

But she has denied being directly involved in the preparation of acts of terror.

"I am willing to go to court and face the people who made these claims and refute these claims because I know I did nothing in Daesh but be a mother and a wife," she said.

"These claims are being made to make me look worse because the government do not have anything on me. There is no evidence because nothing ever happened," she told ITV.

Begum, now 22, said the only crime she had committed was "being dumb enough to join IS", and asked for forgiveness from all those who had lost loved ones to the extremists.

"I am so sorry if I ever offended anyone by coming here, if I ever offended anyone by the things I said," Begum, wearing a baseball cap and vest top, said from Syria.

Lawyers for Begum, whose father is Bangladeshi, have accused Britain of racism in its treatment of her, accusing the government of making her a scapegoat.

They have said she was "a child trafficked to and remaining in Syria for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced marriage" and the government's actions leaves her stateless.

Bangladesh's foreign minister has said he will not consider granting her citizenship.

Some 900 people are estimated to have travelled from Britain to Syria and Iraq to join Daesh, creating a legal headache for the UK authorities now the conflict is over.

About 150 are believed to have been stripped of their citizenship.

Begum, whose three children conceived after her arrival in Syria all died, was first seen in 2019 wearing a black hijab and said she did not regret travelling to Syria.

But she has since been seen in Western clothing and expressed remorse for her actions, and sympathy for Daesh victims.

More For You

Fathers over 60 help 'reverse UK birthrate decline'

Photo for representation (Photo: iStock)

Fathers over 60 help 'reverse UK birthrate decline'

THE UK has recorded its first increase in births since 2021, with a notable rise in babies born to fathers over 60 helping to lift the numbers, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In 2024, there were 594,677 live births in England and Wales, up 0.6 per cent from the previous year. While this is a modest increase, it marks a change after several years of decline.

Keep ReadingShow less
Quad-leaders

The foreign ministers of the Quad — India, the US, Australia and Japan — met in Washington DC on Tuesday to outline priorities for the bloc’s annual summit to be held in India later this year. (Photo credit: X/@DrSJaishankar)

X/@DrSJaishankar

Quad condemns Pahalgam attack, flags China’s actions and Myanmar crisis

THE QUAD grouping has called for the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of the Pahalgam terror attack to be brought to justice without delay. The group also urged all UN member states to cooperate in the process.

The foreign ministers of the Quad — India, the US, Australia and Japan — met in Washington DC on Tuesday to outline priorities for the bloc’s annual summit to be held in India later this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Preventable' grid failure caused Heathrow fire, says report

FILE PHOTO: Airplanes remain parked on the tarmac at Heathrow International. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

'Preventable' grid failure caused Heathrow fire, says report

A FIRE that shut London's Heathrow airport in March, stranding thousands of people, was caused by the UK power grid's failure to maintain an electricity substation, an official report said on Wednesday (2), prompting the energy watchdog to open a probe.

The closure of Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, cost airlines tens of millions of pounds. It also raised questions about the resilience of Britain's infrastructure.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tributes paid to Asian mum who died in Leicester attack

Leicestershire Police

Tributes paid to Asian mum who died in Leicester attack

TRIBUTES have poured in for a 'kind-hearted' mother who tragically lost her life last week after being attacked in Leicester.

Nila Patel, 56, a British Indian woman described as a "beautiful, vibrant soul," died in hospital two days after suffering a head injury during an assault on Aylestone Road.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Sri Lanka to receive USD 350 million as IMF completes fourth review

THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) has completed the fourth review of Sri Lanka’s USD 2.9 billion bailout programme, allowing the country to access the next tranche of USD 350 million from the four-year facility.

The IMF had approved the nearly USD 3 billion bailout in March 2023 to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to restore macroeconomic stability, including fiscal and debt sustainability, during an unprecedented economic crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less