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

Man found guilty of rape and murder of Irish backpacker in India

McLaughlin, 28, from County Donegal, was found dead in a field in Goa in March 2017. (Photo credit: Twitter)

Man found guilty of rape and murder of Irish backpacker in India

A COURT in India has found Vikat Bhagat guilty of the rape and murder of Irish backpacker Danielle McLaughlin.

McLaughlin, 28, from County Donegal, was found dead in a field in Goa in March 2017.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alderman Alastair King

King, who serves as the global ambassador for the City of London, will be in Mumbai to discuss trade and investment under his mayoral theme, 'Growth Unleashed.'

Lord Mayor of London to visit India for trade talks

THE LORD MAYOR of London, Alderman Alastair King, is set to visit India for a week starting Saturday, aiming to promote free trade and capital flows between the two countries.

King, who serves as the global ambassador for the City of London, will be in Mumbai to discuss trade and investment under his mayoral theme, “Growth Unleashed.”

Keep ReadingShow less
trump-modi-washington-getty

The meeting came hours after Trump criticised India’s business environment and announced plans for reciprocal tariffs on countries that impose duties on US imports. (Photo: Getty Images)

Modi and Trump agree to resolve trade disputes, discuss tariff concerns

INDIA and the US have agreed to begin negotiations aimed at resolving trade and tariff disputes, following talks between Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump in Washington.

India has committed to increasing purchases of US oil, gas, and defence equipment, while both sides pledged to address trade barriers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pablo-Escobar-merchandise-Getty

Escobar, killed by security forces in 1993, remains a figure of global interest, with his image appearing on souvenirs like T-shirts, mugs, and keychains. (Photo: Getty Images)

Colombia considers ban on Pablo Escobar merchandise

COLOMBIA’s Congress is considering a bill that would ban the sale of merchandise featuring drug lord Pablo Escobar and other convicted criminals.

The proposed law aims to curb the glorification of Escobar, who was responsible for thousands of deaths during his time leading the Medellín cartel, reported BBC.

Keep ReadingShow less
Assisted dying bill: Judge approval scrapped for expert panel safeguard

Polls show most Britons back assisted dying, with supporters calling for the law to reflect public opinion.

Assisted dying bill: Judge approval scrapped for expert panel safeguard

Eastern Eye

THE proposed new assisted dying law for terminally ill people will be amended to remove the requirement that a high court judge sign off on each case, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said on Tuesday (11).

Opponents of assisted dying said the change would weaken the safeguards around protecting vulnerable people from being coerced or pressured into taking their own lives.

Keep ReadingShow less