World
UK court upholds decision to strip woman of citizenship after she traveled to Syria to join ISIS
- Shamima Begum, who traveled to Syria as a teen to join the Islamic State group, has lost her appeal against the British government’s decision to revoke her U.K. citizenship.
- Begum, now 24, fled London at 15 to marry an IS fighter in Syria and had three children, all of whom died.
- Her British citizenship was withdrawn in 2019, and she has been in a Syrian refugee camp since then.
A woman who traveled to Syria as a teenager to join the Islamic State group lost her appeal Friday against the British government’s decision to revoke her U.K. citizenship, with judges saying that it wasn’t for them to rule on whether it was “harsh” to do so.
Shamima Begum, who is now 24, was 15 when she and two other girls fled from London in February 2015 to marry IS fighters in Syria at a time when the group’s online recruitment program lured many impressionable young people to its self-proclaimed caliphate. Begum married a Dutch man fighting for IS and had three children, who all died.
Authorities withdrew her British citizenship soon after she surfaced in a Syrian refugee camp in 2019, where she has been ever since. Last year, Begum lost her appeal against the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, a tribunal which hears challenges to decisions to remove someone’s British citizenship on national security grounds.
BRITISH WOMAN WHO TRAVELED TO SYRIA TO JOIN ISIS LOSES APPEAL IN FIGHT TO REGAIN HER UK CITIZENSHIP
Her lawyers brought a further bid to overturn that decision at the Court of Appeal, with Britain’s Home Office opposing the challenge.
Shamima Begum, pictured above, traveled to Syria as a teenager to join the Islamic State group. Begum lost her appeal against the British government’s decision to revoke her U.K. citizenship. Her lawyers brought a bid to overturn that decision at the Court of Appeal, with Britain’s Home Office opposing the challenge. In a ruling on Feb. 23, 2024, three judges dismissed her case. (PA via AP, File)
All three judges dismissed her case.
In relaying the ruling, Chief Justice Sue Carr said it wasn’t the court’s job to decide whether the decision to strip Begum of her British citizenship was “harsh” or whether she was the “author of her own misfortune.”
She said the court’s sole task was to assess whether the decision to strip Begum of her citizenship was unlawful.
“Since it was not, Ms Begum’s appeal is dismissed,” the judge added.
Carr said any arguments over the consequences of the unanimous judgment, which could include a bid to appeal at Britain’s Supreme Court, will be adjourned for seven days.
Begum’s lawyer indicated that a further challenge was on the cards.
“I think the only thing we can really say for certainty is that we are going to keep fighting,” Daniel Furner said outside the Royal Courts of Justice.
“I want to say that I’m sorry to Shamima and to her family that after five years of fighting she still hasn’t received justice in a British court and to promise her and promise the government that we are not going to stop fighting until she does get justice and until she is safely back home,” he added.
Begum’s legal team argued that the decision by Britain’s then interior minister Sajid Javid, left her stateless and that she should have been treated as a child trafficking victim, not a security risk.
BRITISH ISIS BRIDE SHAMIMA BEGUM TRIES TO USE HER BABY TO GET BACK INTO UK, CLAIMING HE’S SICK
The British government claimed she could seek a Bangladeshi passport based on family ties. But Begum’s family argued that she was from the U.K. and never held a Bangladeshi passport.
Javid said he welcomed the ruling which “upheld” his decision.
“This is a complex case but home secretaries should have the power to prevent anyone entering our country who is assessed to pose a threat to it,” he said.
A number of campaigners voiced their disappointment after the ruling.
“The power to banish a citizen like this simply shouldn’t exist in the modern world, not least when we’re talking about a person who was seriously exploited as a child,” said Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International U.K.’s refugee and migrant rights director.
World
Stefon Diggs’ acquittal clears path for return to the field but he could still face NFL discipline
Stefon Diggs’ acquittal in court clears a path for the four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver to return to the field.
He still could face discipline from the NFL.
“We have been monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tuesday.
Diggs was found not guilty Tuesday of assaulting his personal chef. The charges stemmed from a Dec. 2 incident at his house in Massachusetts where Jamila Adams, a former live-in personal chef, testified that Diggs slapped and choked her during an argument. He had pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before clearing Diggs of all charges.
“The evidence has shown what we’ve maintained from day one: Mr. Diggs was wrongly accused, and this case represents exactly the kind of opportunistic targeting that players can face the moment they step off the field,” Diggs’ attorney, Mitch Schuster, said in a statement.
Diggs spent last season with the New England Patriots, helping them reach the Super Bowl, where they lost to Seattle. He was released in March and remains a unsigned.
That could change in the coming weeks, though league discipline is still a possibility.
Several NFL players, including Ben Roethlisberger, Jameis Winston and Ezekiel Elliott, have been suspended for violating the personal-conduct policy despite not being arrested or charged with a crime.
Roethlisberger, the former Steelers quarterback was suspended six games — it was later reduced to four after an appeal — in 2010 following sexual assault accusations.
Winston was in his fourth season with the Buccaneers when he was suspended three games in 2018 following a sexual assault allegation.
Elliott, a three-time Pro Bowl running back, was in his second season with the Cowboys when he was suspended six games in 2017 following a league investigation into domestic violence allegations. An arbitrator upheld the six games following an appeal.
Diggs led New England with 85 receptions and 1,013 yards receiving with four touchdowns in his only season with the team. He was the go-to option for Drake Maye, who finished runner-up to Matthew Stafford for the AP NFL MVP award.
Diggs, who turns 33 on Nov. 29, has played for three teams in the last three seasons. He began his career in Minnesota in 2015 and went from fifth-round pick to No. 1 receiver in five seasons with the Vikings.
He was traded to Buffalo for a first-round pick in 2020 and had an All-Pro season that year. Diggs spent four seasons with the Bills before he wore out his welcome. He played for the Texans in 2024.
Here are five potential landing spots for Diggs going forward:
Baltimore Ravens
Despite drafting Ja’Kobi Lane in the third round and Elijah Sarratt in the fourth, Baltimore could use another veteran receiver to pair with Zay Flowers and give Lamar Jackson more options.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers acquired Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade to join DK Metcalf and tried to select Makai Lemon in the first round before the Eagles swooped in and took him instead. The Steelers ended up taking wideout Germie Bernard in the second round but Aaron Rodgers, if he returns, prefers veterans and Diggs would be a fit.
Los Angeles Chargers
Fourth-round pick Brenen Thompson joins a group that’s led by Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston and includes Tre’ Harris. Diggs would give Justin Herbert a dependable target.
Los Angeles Rams
After exploring the possibility of a trade for A.J. Brown earlier in the offseason, the Rams could still be in the market for another veteran to add to a formidable unit led by All-Pro Puka Nacua and six-time Pro Bowl pick Davante Adams.
New England Patriots
They’re likely going to acquire Brown from the Eagles after June 1. However, bringing Diggs back if the price is right could be an option. He knows the offense and didn’t hold any grudges after being informed he was going to be released. Diggs posted his appreciation for the organization, saying: “We family forever.”
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Authorities in South Africa carried out a high-risk recovery operation over the weekend, airlifting a massive crocodile suspected of eating a local resident.
The operation followed last month’s disappearance of a 59-year-old businessman from Gauteng, South African Police Service (SAPS) said. Local media Smile FM identified him as Gabriel Batista, the owner of the Border Country Inn located a short drive from the river.
A specialized task force eventually tracked down the reptile Saturday along the Komati River, where it was euthanized and removed from the area, officials reported. Upon examination, they said human remains were discovered in its digestive system.
The operation was also captured on camera and has since spread widely on social media, showing personnel hoisting the massive crocodile from the water by helicopter.
SOUTH AFRICAN ELEPHANT KILLS TOURIST WHO WAS TRYING TO SAVE CHILDREN AT KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
A wildlife specialist dangles alongside a euthanized crocodile during an aerial relocation in South Africa. (Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Mpumalanga Provincial Office)
According to the police, the local businessman went missing late last month after his Ford Ranger became stranded at a flooded low-lying river crossing near crocodile-infested waters.
State media SABCNews reported that the vehicle was swept away as he attempted to cross the bridge.
ALLIGATOR MAULS WOMAN CANOEING AS FLORIDA URGES VACATIONERS TO AVOID DISASTER WITH SAFETY TIPS
Following a weeklong search, the team reportedly identified a large crocodile nearby that they believed may have attacked and consumed the victim.
According to officials who monitored the reptile for several days, the reptile appeared to show signs it had recently fed, including prolonged periods of inactivity, South African outlet ENCA said.
A massive crocodile was spotted near a river in South Africa. (Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Mpumalanga Provincial Office)
“During the search, we saw that this particular crocodile was only about 150 meters away from where the person had washed off the bridge. This crocodile stayed there the whole time. When the helicopter went over it, it wouldn’t move away,” SAPS Captain Johan “Pottie” Potgieter said.
“We know from experience that if crocodiles have had a big meal, they’re not very active, and need to lie in the sun for their digestive system to start working.”
After authorities euthanized the animal with the necessary permissions, Potgieter operated under “extremely dangerous conditions,” being lowered from a helicopter into crocodile-infested waters.
It was then secured with a rope, hoisted from the water, and airlifted away, SAPS said.
Authorities used a helicopter to transport a massive crocodile from a river in South Africa. (Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Mpumalanga Provincial Office)
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During the examination, officials reportedly discovered human remains, as well as six pairs of sandals inside the animal’s stomach, SABC News reported.
The remains have been submitted for DNA testing to confirm the victim’s identity.
It remains unclear whether the shoes are linked to any missing residents or villagers in the area.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says ceasefire with Iran remains in place despite growing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Published On 6 May 2026
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