Shamima Begum was ‘smuggled into Syria by Canadian spy’
A Canadian intelligence agent smuggled Shamima Begum and her two friends into Syria, according to reports.
Isil Sport News
Grenade blast at Afghan cricket match killed 2 spectators: Police
At the time of the explosion, hundreds of people were at the domestic T20 league match at the Kabul International Cricket Stadium. When contacted after the blast, Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said it was caused by a grenade, but did not offer any details on casualties. Nasseb Khan, the chief executive of Afghanistan Cricket Board, had tweeted that four spectators were wounded in the explosion.
Russia, Turkey and Iran meet in Tehran: Presidents talk on war in Syria and Ukraine
Middle East Matters take a closer look at the movement #No2Hijab campaign in Iran, where women are openly defying dress codes imposed by the Islamic Republic. The Twitter campaign encourages women to take videos of themselves without their veils out in public. A number of women have been arrested since the call was made ahead of the "National Day of Hijab and Chastity" on July 12th.
The secret lives of Iran's smugglers
Meanwhile, France has brought back 51 women and children from northeast Syria, the largest such repatriation from Paris following pressure from campaigners. They had been living in camps, among suspected family members of Islamic State group militants.
'If the world could be a little more like Manchester, it would be a much better place': PM Boris Johnson's message for M.E.N readers, five years on from the Arena bomb
Boris Johnson has praised the courage of the people of Manchester and the city's determination not to give in to hatred on the fifth anniversary of the terror attack at the Arena. The prime minister praised the city's reaction to the May 2017 atrocity, saying: "If the world could be a little more like... Manchester, it would be a much better place for us all."
Grief, anger, and a sense of betrayal - the feelings that haunt the Manchester Arena families, five years after we lost the 22
On Sunday morning, a group of unlikely friends - bound by a terrible, shared grief nobody else can truly understand - met in a small corner of Victoria railway station. They chatted, shared stories, hugged, left flowers, lit candles and shed a few tears, just as they have in previous years. There were a few words but nothing formal. Then, at 10.31am, they fell silent.
Qatar faces World Cup questions as 200-day countdown looms
(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 1, 2022, the FIFA World Cup trophy and the official 2022 World Cup ball called Al-Rihla, which means “the journey” in Arabic, are seen on stage during the draw for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. – Migrant labourers are working through the night near the World Cup clock that will start counting down 200 days to kick-off on May 5, 2022, with hosts Qatar facing mounting questions over costs and conditions for fans. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
Qatar faces World Cup questions as 200-day countdown looms
Eight shiny, air-conditioned stadiums are ready for the tournament's start on November 21, but every night the army of South Asian workers who underpin Qatar's energy-rich economy swarm over unfinished roads and building sites around Doha. Dozens of gigantic cranes tower over the capital's skyscrapers while organisers juggle with the dilemma of welcoming an estimated 1.4 million fans wanting entertainment and alcohol in the tiny, conservative Islamic state. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has promised the "best ever" World Cup and a FIFA spokesperson told AFP that the global body had been "impressed" by Qatar's infrastructure programme.