Tag: News Story

STORY

Four Palestine Action activists have been found guilty of criminal damage following a break-in at an Elbit Systems UK site near Bristol, with one of them also convicted over a serious physical assault on a police officer.

Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Zainab Rajwani, 21, were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court after a retrial relating to the incident at the Israeli-linked defence company’s facility in Filton on 6 August 2024. Two other defendants, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, were acquitted of criminal damage.

The court heard that activists entered the site after a van was driven into shutters at the premises, before damage was caused to equipment including drones, computers and other property. Prosecutors said sledgehammers, crowbars and red paint sprayed from fire extinguishers were used during the raid, with damage estimated in some reports at around £1 million.

Corner was also found guilty, by an 11-1 majority, of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Sergeant Kate Evans. He was cleared of the more serious charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Sky News reported that Sgt Evans suffered a fractured spine after being hit in the back with a seven-pound sledgehammer.

STORY

A convicted murderer has been given an additional 11 year sentence after launching a violent antisemitic attack on a Jewish chaplain at HMP Whitemoor. Joseph Gynane, 41, attacked the chaplain from behind while he was visiting the Cambridgeshire prison to support prisoners on 14 September last year. Cambridgeshire Police said Gynane, who had converted to Islam in 2007 shouted “Allah Akbar” before punching the man to the back of the head with such force that he was knocked to the floor. He then continued punching him, even after a prison officer sprayed him with PAVA.

The victim was taken for medical treatment and later attended Peterborough City Hospital, where checks showed he had suffered a broken jaw and a broken thumb. The chaplain told officers he believed the assault was religiously motivated because he was Jewish and was wearing a black skull cap at the time.

Gynane, who had previously been convicted of murdering his friend and stabbing a sixteen year old boy in London in 2019, was moved to the prison’s segregation unit after the attack. Police said his cell was later found covered in graffiti including the phrases “free Palestine” and “Death to the IDF”. He admitted racially aggravated assault inflicting grievous bodily harm at an earlier hear

STORY

A Peterborough woman has been jailed after repeatedly stealing from the same Co-op store while banned from entering any branch of the chain. Michelle Blades, 43, of Fletton High Street, Peterborough, admitted four counts of shop theft and four breaches of a criminal behaviour order after a series of offences at the Co-op in Columbus Road, Hempsted.

Cambridgeshire Police said she first went to the shop on 6 April and stole Nutella and chocolate eggs worth more than £65, before returning the next day to take more chocolate and a bag of doughnuts. The force said Blades came back for a third consecutive day on 8 April, taking shampoo, conditioner and bodywash without paying. After a two-week gap, she returned again on 24 April and stole more shampoo. Police identified and arrested her two days later.

Blades had been made subject to a two-year criminal behaviour order in February last year, banning her from all Co-op stores. By entering the Hempsted branch, she was repeatedly breaching that court order as well as committing thefts.

STORY

Reform UK has been accused of treating immigration policy as a political punishment after Zia Yusuf announced that a future Reform government would prioritise migrant detention centres in Green Party controlled areas. Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, said the party would not put migrant detention facilities in constituencies with Reform MPs or in areas where Reform controlled the council. He said that, of the remaining areas, Green controlled councils and Green parliamentary constituencies would be prioritised, adding that voters would “get what they vote for”.

Reform says the centres would form part of its plan to deport “all illegal migrants”, with proposed facilities holding up to 24,000 people. The announcement has prompted criticism across party lines, with opponents saying it turns asylum and deportation policy into an explicit threat against communities that vote the wrong way. The Green Party described the plan as “abhorrent”, while Labour chair Anna Turley called it a “grotesque policy” and accused Nigel Farage’s party of betraying basic democratic principles by threatening to punish places where people did not support Reform.

STORY

Sir Keir Starmer and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have agreed a new UK-Armenia Strategic Partnership following talks in Yerevan. The Prime Minister met Pashinyan during a visit to Armenia, where he thanked him for hosting the European Political Community summit. Downing Street said Sir Keir also praised Armenia’s efforts to secure peace in the region and thanked the Armenian leader for his work on the issue.

The new partnership is intended to strengthen cooperation between the UK and Armenia in defence and security, economic growth and democratic resilience. The talks also covered UK support for Armenia’s resilience, including countering disinformation, improving cyber security and supporting an independent judiciary and media sector.

STORY

Sir Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have said the UK and EU are committed to improving relations, following talks at the European Political Community summit in Armenia.

In a joint statement, the two leaders said they had discussed ways to deliver benefits for consumers and businesses, as well as strengthening European security. They also looked ahead to the next UK-EU summit and said both sides should be “ambitious” about what could be achieved together.

The meeting included discussion of the UK’s planned participation in the EU’s €90 billion, or £78 billion, loan for Ukraine, which they described as a significant step in the UK-EU defence industrial relationship. The leaders also reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and praised the resilience of the Ukrainian people.

Starmer and von der Leyen also agreed to begin negotiations on UK participation in the European Innovation Council Fund, including the Scaleup Europe Fund. The scheme is intended to support high-growth technology firms and keep promising innovators in Europe.

STORY

The Prime Minister has met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Armenia, praising Ukraine’s resilience and reaffirming the UK’s long-term support as the war with Russia continues. According to a Downing Street statement, Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the “remarkable courage and strength” shown by President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people in the face of ongoing Russian attacks. The Ukrainian leader provided an update on the situation on the frontline, with both sides discussing the current momentum of the conflict.

The two leaders also agreed on the need to step up defence industrial collaboration with European partners, with a focus on ensuring Ukraine can continue to defend itself “for as long as it takes”. The meeting took place ahead of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, where wider regional security and cooperation are expected to be key themes.

STORY

The Government has said passengers do not need to change their travel plans, despite concerns about jet fuel supplies following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Ministers said UK airlines are not currently reporting a shortage of jet fuel, adding that fuel is usually bought in advance and airports maintain stocks to support resilience. The Government said it is working with airlines, airports and fuel suppliers to monitor risks and minimise disruption.

Passengers have been advised to keep checking with their airline before travelling, consult Foreign Office travel advice and ensure they have suitable travel insurance. If a flight is cancelled, passengers departing from a UK airport, arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline, or arriving in the EU on a UK airline are entitled to a refund or alternative flight.

STORY

Local government bodies have renewed calls for ministers to change the law so councillors can attend formal council meetings remotely, arguing that the current rules are outdated and make it harder for some people to serve in local democracy. The Digital Democracy Partnership has written to the Government urging legislation in the next parliamentary session, after earlier Government proposals suggested a move towards allowing remote attendance in some circumstances.

Councils were able to meet remotely during the Covid period, before the legal basis for doing so expired, and campaigners have long argued that a return to some form of hybrid attendance would help councillors with caring responsibilities, disabilities, work commitments or long journeys in large rural areas.

STORY

Green Party candidate Saiqa Ali has been arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred after allegations were made about antisemitic social media posts. Ali, who had been standing for the party in Streatham St Leonard’s ward in Lambeth, was detained by Metropolitan Police officers alongside another Green candidate, Sabine Mairey, who had been standing in Clapham Town. The Met said two women, aged 57 and 54, were arrested under section 19 of the Public Order Act 1986 over alleged online material.

The allegations against Ali had already been raised before the arrest by both the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. Lambeth Liberal Democrat leader Donna Harris wrote to Green Party leader Zack Polanski and Lambeth Green leader Scott Ainslie on 16 April, citing reports that Ali had allegedly shared material supporting Hamas, promoted conspiracy theories about 9/11 and claimed that the Government had too many “Zionist Jews”. The Guardian reported that Ali had allegedly posted an image of an armed man linked to Hamas with the caption “resistance is freedom”.