World

UK court upholds decision to strip woman of citizenship after she traveled to Syria to join ISIS

Published

2 years ago

February 23, 2024

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Her British citizenship was withdrawn in 2019, and she has been in a Syrian refugee camp since then.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

Video: Lebanon and Israel Hold Rare In-Person Talks

Published

7 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Video: Lebanon and Israel Hold Rare In-Person Talks

new video loaded: Lebanon and Israel Hold Rare In-Person Talks

transcript

Lebanon and Israel Hold Rare In-Person Talks

While the talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington did not yield a cease-fire agreement, both sides agreed to “launch direct negotiations” after having “productive discussions,” according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.

: “It’s a historic gathering that we hope to build on. And the hope today is that we can outline the framework upon which a permanent and lasting peace can be developed.” “We discovered today that we’re on the same side of the equation. That’s the most positive thing we could have come away with. We are both united in liberating Lebanon from an occupation power dominated by Iran called Hezbollah.”
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While the talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington did not yield a cease-fire agreement, both sides agreed to “launch direct negotiations” after having “productive discussions,” according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.

By Meg Felling

April 14, 2026

World

Trump blasts close ally Meloni, says she’s failing US on Iran

Published

8 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Trump blasts close ally Meloni, says she’s failing US on Iran

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Tensions between Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni escalated Tuesday after the U.S. president publicly rebuked one of his closest European allies, accusing her of lacking “courage” and failing to support Washington’s efforts against Iran.

In a phone interview with Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, Trump called Meloni “unacceptable” and said he was “shocked” by her stance, according to the outlet’s English-language version.

The dispute with Trump was further fueled by Meloni’s criticism of his recent remarks targeting Pope Leo XIV, which she called “unacceptable,” prompting Trump to respond that “she is the one who is unacceptable.”

In a scathing rebuke of the Vatican’s call for Middle Eastern de-escalation, President Trump took to Truth Social to blast Pope Leo XIV. Labeling the pontiff “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump warned him to “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.” The post, which quickly went viral, accused the first American pope of “catering to the Radical Left” at the expense of global security.

MORE KEY US ALLIES BLOCK MILITARY FLIGHTS AS IRAN WAR RIFT WIDENS WITH TRUMP

In the interview to Corriere della Sera Trump also reiterated criticism of Pope Leo, saying the pontiff “has no idea what’s going on in Iran” and “doesn’t understand” what is at stake.

Tensions between President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni escalated Tuesday. (Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters)

She “isn’t giving us any help, I’m shocked by her,” Trump said about Meloni in the six-minute conversation.

He went further, accusing Meloni of relying on Washington while refusing to act.

“They depend on Donald Trump to keep it open,” he said, referring to global energy routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The comments mark a sharp shift in tone toward Meloni, who attended Trump’s 2025 inauguration and was praised by him as “a great leader” just weeks ago.

The White House and Meloni’s office did not immediately respond.

The public rift comes as Meloni has begun distancing herself from both Washington and Jerusalem amid mounting domestic and political pressure over the widening Middle East conflict.

RUBIO SAYS US MAY NEED TO ‘REEXAMINE’ NATO MEMBERSHIP AFTER ALLIES BLOCKED BASING, AIRSPACE HELP

President Donald Trump delivers remarks, as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer applaud, following the signing of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, in Egypt, Oct. 13, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

On Tuesday, Meloni confirmed in a statement that Italy had suspended the automatic renewal of a long-standing defense cooperation agreement with Israel, signaling a significant recalibration in ties.

“In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,” she said, according to Reuters.

The move follows recent tensions between Rome and Jerusalem, including Israeli warning shots fired near Italian troops serving in southern Lebanon under a U.N. mandate, as well as growing Italian criticism of Israeli military operations in the region.

Israel downplayed the impact of the decision, saying the agreement was largely symbolic and “has never contained any substantive content,” Reuters reported.

In Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized the government following Italy’s move.

“Italy’s decision to suspend the defense cooperation agreement with Israel is another embarrassing failure of the prime minister and the non-existent foreign minister,” Lapid wrote on X.

TRUMP SAYS HE’S CONSIDERING PULLING US OUT OF NATO OVER IRAN WAR STANCE

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is greeted upon arrival at the White House South Portico in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 18, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

“Meloni is not a left-wing progressive European leader,” she added. “She belongs to the conservative right and understands the need to fight terrorism.”

Meloni’s shift reflects what analysts describe as a broader political repositioning, as the war’s economic fallout, particularly rising energy costs, weighs heavily on Italy’s import-dependent economy and public opinion.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani defended Meloni, reaffirming Italy’s alliance with the United States while emphasizing that cooperation must be grounded in “loyalty, respect and mutual frankness.”

The escalating tensions highlight growing fractures within Western alliances as the U.S.-led confrontation with Iran reverberates across Europe, forcing leaders like Meloni to balance strategic partnerships with domestic political realities.

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A ship passes through the Strait of Hormuz during a two-week temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran on April 8, 2026. (Shady Alassar/Anadolu/Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Ministry declined to comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Efrat Lachter is a foreign correspondent for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent to efrat.lachter@fox.com.

World

Fifth woman accuses former US lawmaker Eric Swalwell of sexual misconduct

Published

9 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Fifth woman accuses former US lawmaker Eric Swalwell of sexual misconduct

The Democratic representative from California has resigned his seat in Congress over multiple sexual misconduct allegations.

By Reuters and The Associated Press

Published On 14 Apr 2026

Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell has resigned from the United States Congress, amid mounting allegations of sexual misconduct.

On Tuesday, a fifth woman came forward to accuse Swalwell of unwanted sexual contact, saying the Democratic lawmaker drugged and raped her during an encounter in 2018.

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“My delay in taking action against Eric was driven by fear, not doubt – fear of his political power,” Lonna Drewes said during a news conference in Los Angeles.

Drewes’s lawyer, Lisa Bloom, said her firm would be filing a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office.

Swalwell has denied allegations of wrongdoing. But on Monday, he announced he would resign from Congress, one day after suspending his gubernatorial campaign.

Polls had shown the 45-year-old leading the race to replace Gavin Newsom as governor of California.

But his campaign imploded last week after reports from the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN detailed allegations of sexual misconduct from several women.

One woman, identified as a former staffer, told CNN that Swalwell raped her in a New York City hotel in 2024, an encounter that left her bleeding and bruised.

Three other women told US news outlets that they had received inappropriate messages from Swalwell on the app Snapchat, which automatically deletes interactions.

Lonna Drewes, followed by her lawyer Lisa Bloom, arrives at a news conference in Beverly Hills, California, on April 14 [Patrick T Fallon/AFP]

The accusations quickly prompted backlash to Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign. Supporters withdrew their endorsements, and a handful of bipartisan lawmakers said they would push for a vote to expel Swalwell from Congress.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office also announced on Saturday that it is investigating the sexual assault allegations.

In a statement on Monday, Swalwell apologised to his family, staff and constituents for what he called “mistakes in judgment”.

Although he confirmed he would resign his seat in Congress, he nevertheless criticised his colleagues for seeking his expulsion.

“I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me,” Swalwell wrote.

“I am aware of the efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong.”

Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna had said she would withdraw her motion to expel Swalwell once he stepped down, and she confirmed on Tuesday that he had submitted a resignation letter, “effective immediately”.

Republican Representative Tony Gonzales also announced on Monday that he would retire from Congress amid calls for his expulsion over allegations of sexual misconduct.