Latest Islam News
Mourners begin days of funerals for Iran's president and others killed in helicopter crash
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mourners in black began gathering Tuesday for days of funerals and processions for Iran's late president, foreign minister and others killed in a helicopter crash, a government-led series of ceremonies aimed at both honoring the dead and projecting strength in...
Hundreds of hostages, mostly women and children, are rescued from Boko Haram extremists in Nigeria
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Hundreds of hostages, mostly children and women, who were held captive for months or years by Boko Haram extremists in northeastern Nigeria have been rescued from a forest enclave and handed over to authorities, the army said. The 350 hostages had been...
Indian voters dissect Modi's politics while traversing the country by train
ABOARD THE THIRUKKURAL EXPRESS, India (AP) — The 1,800-mile (2,900-kilometer) journey south from New Delhi to Kanyakumari is one of the longest train rides in India, passing through cities, villages, scrub forests and deep ravines. The 22-car Thirukkural Express is a microcosm of...
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East. ...
What's next for Iran's government after death of its president in helicopter crash?
JERUSALEM (AP) — The death of Iran's president is unlikely to lead to any immediate changes in Iran's ruling system or to its overarching policies, which are decided by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash Sunday, was seen as a...
Who is Mohammad Mokhber, appointed Iran's acting president after a helicopter crash?
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's first Vice President Mohammad Mokhber was appointed acting president of the Islamic Republic on Monday after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. Mokhber, 68, has largely been in the shadows compared to other...
Who is Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's president whose helicopter suffered a 'hard landing' in foggy weather?
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi has long been seen as a protégé to Iran's supreme leader and a potential successor for his position within the country's Shiite theocracy. News of his helicopter making what state media described as a...
As ethnic armed group claims to have captured a town in western Myanmar, Muslim Rohingyas flee again
BANGKOK (AP) — A powerful ethnic armed group fighting Myanmar’s military government in the country’s western state of Rakhine claimed Saturday to have seized a town near the border with Bangladesh, marking the latest in a series of victories for foes of the country’s military government. ...
It was once a center of Islamic learning. Now Mali's historic city of Djenné mourns lack of visitors
DJENNE, Mali (AP) — Kola Bah used to earn a living as a tour guide in Mali's historic city of Djenné, once a center of Islamic learning known for the sprawling mud-brick mosque that has been on the UNESCO World Heritage in Danger list since 2016. The Grand Mosque of Djenné —...
Turkey's Erdogan pardons elderly generals imprisoned over 1997 'postmodern coup'
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday pardoned seven former top military officers who were sentenced to life terms in prison over the ouster of an Islamic-led government in 1997. The former generals, who are in their late 70s and 80s, were pardoned...