标签： North America

The United Arab Emirates has inaugurated a groundbreaking National Zakat Platform, establishing a unified digital system that transforms how Muslims fulfill their religious obligation of zakat during Ramadan 2026 and beyond. This comprehensive initiative serves as an official national gateway, electronically connecting donors with verified beneficiaries while ensuring full compliance with Islamic Shariah principles and legal requirements.

The platform standardizes the entire zakat process—from calculation and collection to distribution—bringing unprecedented transparency and efficiency to charitable giving. Donors can now contribute through multiple payment options including credit cards, bank transfers, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, making the process accessible and convenient for all residents.

Zakat, a fundamental pillar of Islam, requires Muslims to donate 2.5% of their qualifying wealth and savings held for a full lunar year. The platform simplifies this calculation by accounting for various assets including cash balances, gold, silver, investment income, and business assets, while appropriately deducting liabilities and necessary expenses.

The innovative system channels contributions toward critical social programs including healthcare projects, chronic disease treatment, educational support, and debt relief for struggling individuals. Donors can support specific campaigns targeting school students, people of determination, orphans, widows, and low-income families through either single donations or collective payments for multiple causes.

Rather than replacing existing charitable organizations, the platform coordinates their efforts under a unified framework that prevents duplication, enhances accountability, and maximizes social impact. The system utilizes official databases and advanced verification mechanisms to confirm beneficiary eligibility, track fund distribution, monitor expenditure, and measure outcomes.

Future developments will incorporate artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to further streamline zakat calculation processes and improve targeting of beneficiaries, representing a significant advancement in digital philanthropy within the Islamic world.

The remote community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, is confronting unimaginable tragedy after an 18-year-old female suspect, identified by authorities as Jesse Van Rootselaar, perpetrated one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings. According to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, the assailant first killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their family residence before proceeding to her former school, where she opened fire on students and staff.

The attack, which occurred Tuesday in the close-knit mining town of approximately 2,400 residents, resulted in nine fatalities including the perpetrator, who died by suicide. Police revised the initial death toll of ten after further investigation. Among the victims were a 39-year-old teacher, three 12-year-old female students, and two male students aged 12 and 13. Dozens sustained injuries, with two critically wounded victims—ages 12 and 19—remaining hospitalized.

Authorities revealed Van Rootselaar had extensive documented mental health struggles, having been apprehended multiple times under provincial mental health legislation for assessment. Police had previously visited the family residence numerous times over recent years addressing mental health concerns related to the suspect. Notably, firearms had been seized from the home approximately two years prior but were returned after the owner successfully appealed the decision.

The shooting has sent shockwaves through Canada, where such incidents remain exceptionally rare compared to the United States. Prime Minister Mark Carney, visibly emotional during press statements, postponed international travel and ordered flags flown at half-mast for seven days. ‘We will get through this. We will learn from this,’ Carney assured the nation, while Parliament observed a moment of silence for the victims.

As details emerge, grieving families have begun sharing heartbreaking tributes. Abel Mwansa memorialized his 12-year-old son who ‘loved going to school so much,’ while Shanon Dycke confirmed her 12-year-old niece, Kylie May Smith, was among those killed. The tragedy ranks among Canada’s deadliest shooting incidents, comparable to the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks that claimed 22 lives and the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre that killed 14 women.

In a deeply personal address to grieving families, Prince Harry has voiced strong support for parents pursuing legal action against technology behemoths Meta and YouTube. The Duke of Sussex delivered an emotionally charged speech following the opening of a groundbreaking trial in California that seeks to determine whether Instagram and YouTube’s algorithmic designs cause psychological harm to young users.

The case represents a significant legal challenge against the fundamental business models of social media platforms, with families alleging these services are intentionally engineered to foster addiction. Approximately 50 bereaved parents, including Ellen Roome whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died following an online challenge, gathered to hear Prince Harry’s words of solidarity.

Drawing parallels to his own experiences with institutional opposition, Harry characterized the lawsuit as a ‘David versus Goliath’ confrontation. He expressed empathy for the emotional toll of hearing platform representatives defend practices that families believe ‘devalue children’s lives.’ The prince concluded with a powerful call for ‘truth, justice and accountability’ as the anticipated outcomes of the legal proceedings.

This case emerges alongside Prince Harry’s ongoing advocacy for enhanced online child protection measures, which he launched last year. The California trial’s outcome could potentially influence separate litigation initiated by attorneys general from multiple U.S. states seeking stricter regulations for Meta’s platforms.

While Meta has previously stated its commitment to youth safety through features like content filtering for teen accounts, and YouTube has implemented various age-restriction tools, the plaintiffs argue these measures remain insufficient against fundamentally addictive platform architectures.

The remote community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, with a population of merely 3,000 residents, is reeling from a devastating dual shooting incident that occurred on Tuesday. The tragedy unfolded at two separate locations—a local residence and Tumbler Ridge Secondary School—resulting in eight fatalities and 27 individuals sustaining injuries.

Among the deceased is 39-year-old Jennifer Strang, mother of the 18-year-old suspect, Jesse van Rootselaar. According to CBC News reports, Strang was discovered deceased at a residential property alongside another family member. Court documents from 2015 reveal that Strang and her children had previously led what was described by a judge as ‘an almost nomadic life,’ traveling extensively across Canada before being legally restricted from leaving British Columbia.

The school shooting claimed the lives of four students and one educator. Victims include 12-year-old Kylie Smith, remembered by her family as a vibrant soul passionate about art and anime. ‘She was the light of her family,’ her loved ones expressed to CTV News. Her father, Lance Young, emotionally added, ‘She was just a beautiful soul. We just loved her so much.’

Additional victims at the educational facility included two 12-year-old girls, two boys aged 12 and 13, and a 39-year-old female teacher. At the residential crime scene, police confirmed the death of van Rootselaar’s 11-year-old step-brother alongside Strang.

The consecutive violent episodes have created profound shockwaves through the tightly-knit community, where nearly every resident is expected to personally know affected individuals given the scale of casualties relative to the town’s small population.

The remote town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, is grappling with profound grief following a devastating school shooting that resulted in nine fatalities, including the 18-year-old perpetrator. The incident at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday represents Canada’s deadliest school shooting in over three decades, sending shockwaves through the nation.

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the shooter has been identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar, a local resident who identified as female both socially and publicly. The investigation revealed Van Rootselaar was found deceased inside the school with an apparently self-inflicted injury, alongside two recovered firearms—a long gun and a modified handgun.

The victims include a 39-year-old female educator, three 12-year-old female students, and two male students aged 12 and 13. In a tragic development, police subsequently discovered two additional victims at a residential location—identified as the shooter’s 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother.

The violence left twenty-seven individuals injured, with two female victims aged 12 and 19 requiring airlift transportation to hospital and remaining in serious condition. Authorities noted that after medical evaluation, no discernible physical injuries were identified among others transported to local medical facilities.

Law enforcement officials emphasized the rapid evolution of the crisis, with Superintendent Ken Floyd acknowledging the critical cooperation from school officials, first responders, and the community. Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald confirmed investigators believe the suspect acted alone and are working to determine the motive behind the attack.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed devastation over the tragedy, extending prayers and deepest condolences to affected families while affirming the federal government’s support for British Columbians confronting this horrific event.