UK is considering the trial of “smart” passport gates that could allow travellers to cross the border without presenting a physical passport.
Phil Douglas, the director-general of the UK Border Force, aims for a “much more frictionless facial recognition” system, hoping to upgrade the current eGates to enable arriving passengers to enter the UK by simply looking into a camera and keeping their passports in their pockets.
The existing eGates use facial recognition, checking each traveler’s face against the data encrypted on the passport. The proposed system would rely on centralised data.
Currently, eGates are accessible to travellers aged 10 or above from the UK, EU, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea.
However, the new smart gates would require travellers to be registered on a centralised database.
The phased implementation of the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorization Scheme is expected to provide the necessary information for eligible travellers.
Mr Douglas told The Times, “We will know a lot more information about people upfront.”
Other countries are already using advanced facial recognition, with the world’s busiest international airport, Dubai, deploying the technology for some travellers.
Dubai Airports claims: “Smart Gates allow you to get through immigration procedures in as little as five seconds.” Families with children under 15, as well as travellers under 1.2 metres tall, are unable to use the smart gates in Dubai.
Australia employs similar technology at some of its airports.
In the UK, an initial trial for the proposed “smart” passport gates is expected to occur at a single airport, involving a limited number of travelers.
Subsequently, a procurement exercise will follow, and the cost of upgrading the existing eGates, numbering in the hundreds, is anticipated to be in the tens of millions.
However, passengers who experienced the collapse of the entire UK eGates system in May 2023 might approach these proposed enhancements with caution.
The failure of a systems upgrade over thelate May bank holiday resulted in tens of thousands of passengers queuing for many hours.
A video making rounds on social media platform, X, indicates that a Ghanaian who arrived in the UK a month ago has been arrested by security authorities.
The male suspect is accused of engaging in sexual activities with a minor. He allegedly sex-chatted and sent his nudes to a 14-year-old girl.
In a video shared by X user, @eddie_wrt, the suspect could be heard saying “we have just been talking about friendship.”
He clarified that he does not sleep with his friends and does not ask for sexual favours.
But a female investigator who interrogated him accused him of being a liar.
The Ghanaian then replied, “I am really sorry.”
A Ghanaian man who only arrived in the UK one month ago has been arrested by authorities for s£x chatting and sending his nud£s to a 14-year-old g!rl. pic.twitter.com/YZiPmzGSYB
A video making rounds on social media platform, X, indicates that a Ghanaian who arrived in the UK a month ago has been arrested by security authorities.
The male suspect is accused of engaging in sexual activities with a minor. He allegedly sex-chatted and sent his nudes to a 14-year-old girl.
In a video shared by X user, @eddie_wrt, the suspect could be heard saying “we have just been talking about friendship.”
He clarified that he does not sleep with his friends and does not ask for sexual favours.
But a female investigator who interrogated him accused him of being a liar.
The Ghanaian then replied, “I am really sorry.”
A Ghanaian man who only arrived in the UK one month ago has been arrested by authorities for s£x chatting and sending his nud£s to a 14-year-old g!rl. pic.twitter.com/YZiPmzGSYB
A young Nigerian woman, known as Akorede on TikTok (@korrxss), has faced an unexpected turn of events after sharing news of her employment with the UK-based luxury department store, Harrods, on social media.
In a video that gained attention, she enthusiastically discussed her upcoming job at Harrods, expressing excitement about interacting with “the richest of the rich” and offering tips for getting hired.
“I’m dealing with the richest of the rich, who are you dealing with [giggles]?
“Let me know if you want tips on how to get in.”
However, her joy was short-lived, as she later revealed in another video that she had been terminated even before starting her first shift.
Expressing disappointment, Akorede speculated that someone may have forwarded the video to the company, resulting in her abrupt dismissal.
In her own words, “I got fired! Before I even did my first shift, I got fired. Someone must have sent the video ‘cos I don’t know how they must have found it. I took that video after I attended my induction; I’ve not even attended my first shift. That was really sad. I learnt a really valuable lesson; don’t ever tell good news to people or the internet, keep it to yourself. Upon reflection, that was kind of a shitty video; I was just joking and was just excited.”
The United Kingdom is gearing up to dispatch a warship to Guyana as a demonstration of both diplomatic and military support for the former British colony, according to BBC sources.
This move comes in response to renewed claims by neighboring Venezuela over a disputed part of Guyanese territory, known for its abundant oil and mineral resources.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that HMS Trent, an offshore patrol vessel originally tasked with drug-smuggling interdiction in the Caribbean, will engage in joint exercises with Guyana after the Christmas season.
The decision to redirect HMS Trent was prompted by Venezuela’s recent threats to annex the Essequibo region of Guyana, heightening concerns of a potential invasion and the specter of South America’s first interstate war since the Falklands Conflict in 1982.
As South America’s sole English-speaking nation and a member of the Commonwealth, Guyana finds itself at the center of this territorial dispute.
Venezuela has persistently asserted ownership over Essequibo, a sprawling 61,000 square mile region that encompasses a significant portion of Guyana. Notably rich in gold, diamonds, bauxite, and with substantial offshore oil deposits, the region has become a focal point of contention between the two nations.
While Guyana’s economy is experiencing rapid growth, Venezuela faces severe economic challenges. President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela conducted a controversial referendum on December 3 to reaffirm popular support for the country’s claim to Essequibo, a move widely contested. Despite challenges to the results, Maduro proceeded to publish new maps and legislation, officially incorporating Essequibo into Venezuela. He appointed a new governor, offered identity cards to residents, and directed the state oil company to issue extraction licenses in the disputed region.
Following a meeting with Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, Maduro committed to avoiding the use of force. However, he maintains his territorial claim, and both nations remain in disagreement over the legal resolution of the border dispute.
This heightened tension has led the Lloyd’s insurance market in London to designate Guyana as one of the riskiest shipping zones, reflecting the uncertainty and potential hazards arising from the ongoing territorial dispute.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told the BBC: “HMS Trent will visit regional ally and Commonwealth partner Guyana later this month as part of a series of engagements in the region during her Atlantic Patrol Task deployment.”
HMS Trent has a crew of 65, a top speed of 24 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles.
It is armed with 30mm cannon and a contingent of Royal Marines. It can also deploy Merlin helicopters and unmanned aircraft.
HMS Trent left its home port of Gibraltar in early December and is currently alongside in Bridgetown, Barbados for Christmas.
The warship is expected to anchor off the capital of Guyana, Georgetown, and conduct visits, joint activities and training with the country’s navy and other allies. It cannot go alongside because the port is too shallow.
The vessel is mainly used for tackling piracy and smuggling, protecting fisheries, counterterrorism, providing humanitarian aid, and search and rescue operations, but the Royal Navy says it is also designed for border patrols and defence diplomacy.
The decision to send HMS Trent to Guyana is part of a growing UK effort to show international diplomatic support for Guyana.
Image caption,Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana (left), and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro have agreed not to use force but tensions remain
This week the Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said the UK would “continue to work with partners in the region to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld and prevent escalation”.
David Rutley, the Foreign Office Minister for the Americas, visited Georgetown on 18 December, the first G7 representative to do so since Venezuela renewed its claim.
He promised Guyana the UK’s “unequivocal backing” and welcomed Venezuela’s promise to avoid using force.
Mr Rutley continued: “The border issue has been settled for over 120 years. Sovereign borders must be respected wherever they are in the world.
“The UK will continue to work with partners in the region, as well as through international bodies, to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld.”
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, criticised the visit, accusing the UK of destabilising the region.
In a post on X – formerly Twitter – he said: “The former invading and enslaving empire, which illegally occupied the territory of Guayana Esequiba and acted in a skilful and sneaky manner against the interests of Venezuela, insists on intervening in a territorial controversy that they themselves generated.”
Venezuela disputes the border which was established under an international agreement in 1899.
Guyana was formerly known as British Guiana before it secured its independence in 1966.
In a surprising policy reversal, the UK government has abandoned its contentious plan to swiftly raise the minimum salary requirement for British nationals sponsoring foreign family members.
The revised proposal, announced with minimal fanfare, now advocates an incremental increase, beginning at £29,000 instead of the initially proposed £38,700.
This unexpected shift, lacking in detail and sudden in implementation, has drawn criticism for its perceived lack of consultation and ensuing chaos, prompting opposition parties to condemn the policy change.
While the £29,000 threshold remains above the average UK working salary, concerns persist regarding its impact on family reunification and overall legal migration dynamics.
The incremental raises are set to commence next spring, but a specific timeline for reaching the originally proposed £38,700 threshold has not been outlined.
Under the initial £18,600 threshold, 75% of individuals could afford to have family members join them. In contrast, setting it at £38,700 would reduce this affordability to just 40%, and only 25% in the north-east of England.
The original change, part of a broader crackdown on legal migration, was anticipated to contribute approximately 10,000 to an overall planned reduction of 300,000 in annual migration numbers, with potential adverse effects on families.
“£29,000 is still very high for most families – it excludes over half of the population from sponsoring a foreign spouse and is much higher than the minimum wage so those on lower salaries are still being told their family is not welcome here.
“It’s baffling why the MIR [minimum income requirement] is now going to be raised incrementally – the process is already complicated enough without this too.”
The sudden revision has sparked reactions from advocacy groups, with Reunite Families, a campaign group for those affected by immigration rules, expressing disappointment.
The revised policy, outlined in a parliamentary answer by Conservative peer and junior Home Office minister Andrew Sharpe, stipulates that the minimum income requirement “will be increased in incremental stages to give predictability.” Although the first stage, increasing to £29,000, is slated for next spring, details about subsequent increments remain unspecified.
The apparent ambiguity in the government’s approach aims to address concerns while avoiding outright abandonment of the new threshold.
Home Secretary James Cleverly, in a statement, asserted that further details about the plan’s implementation and timeline have been provided, emphasizing the continued commitment to reducing annual net migration by 300,000.
Notably, individuals renewing family visas and children seeking to join or move with parents will only need to meet the current income requirement, not the increased threshold, according to a Home Office factsheet.
The opposition, including Labour and the Liberal Democrats, has seized on this development as evidence of government chaos on immigration and economic matters.
The initial shift to £38,700 followed heightened concerns about rising net inward migration, reaching 745,000 in the year to December 2022.
While the plan received praise from some Tory MPs, concerns were raised about potential chaos in the health sector and damage to the UK’s long-term growth prospects.
The French coastguard says that a boat with 66 people on it got into trouble about 8km (5 miles) from the French coast.
The people who survived were brought to Calais. The person who got hurt is in the hospital getting help.
The coastguard is still looking for the missing people using airplanes and boats.
French authorities said they arrived at the boat at 1:00 in the morning and found that one of the boat’s tubes was flat and people were in the water.
One person who was not awake was taken to Calais Hospital by helicopter, while the others were brought to land by a few rescue boats.
The rescue happened a couple of miles away from the French coast near Grand-Fort Philippe, which is 20km east of Calais.
For 11 days, the windy weather in the Channel made it hard for anyone to try crossing. But finally, someone tried to cross it today.
730 people traveled in the first three days of December when the sea was smooth.
This year, over 29,000 people came to the UK in small boats. This is a decrease of about one third compared to last year.
The UK government wants to make sure that boats don’t come into the English Channel.
It is moving forward with a plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, even though the Supreme Court said the plan is not allowed by law.
The English Channel is a very busy and dangerous place for ships. About 600 tankers and 200 ferries travel through it every day.
In August, at least six people died when a boat carrying migrants sank in the Channel near the French coast.
In November 2021, more than 27 people died when their small boat sank while trying to go from France to the UK. This is the most deaths in one event ever recorded.
Charities and politicians who disagree with the government are upset that Graham Stuart, who is in charge of climate issues in the UK, has left the talks about the environment in Dubai before they are finished.
He went back to the UK to vote in Parliament tonight. Rishi Sunak is working hard to get support for his Rwanda bill.
ActionAid said Stuart leaving was a big disappointment to the countries asking the UK to take action against major polluters.
Oxfam said it’s very sad that UK representatives flew home from important climate talks just when they were needed the most.
Green MP Caroline Lucas said that the government has lost any remaining moral authority in dealing with the climate emergency.
Stuart said again that the UK will only agree to a statement that says they will stop using fossil fuels to help the climate.
We want to know if this means the UK will reject any deal that doesn’t include the language.
The UK government says that their main negotiator and Lord Benyon, who is a junior minister for climate, are still representing the country at the talks.
A man from Canada is being charged with murder for giving a poisonous chemical to people who used it to end their lives.
Canadian police have accused a 57-year-old man named Kenneth Law, who used to work as a chef, of committing 14 second-degree murders.
Mr Law was accused of helping people to commit suicide by selling them a deadly chemical online.
British police have also connected Mr. Law to 90 deaths in the UK.
Mr Law’s lawyer, Matthew Gourlay, said in an email to the BBC that his client plans to say he didn’t do the things he’s accused of.
Police said on Tuesday that they are charging Mr. Law with murder, which is a serious crime. This is a big step in the legal process against Mr. Law in Canada. The investigation into his actions has involved 11 different police groups in Ontario, which is the biggest province in the country.
Simon James, a police inspector from York Region, said that new murder charges are connected to 14 victims in Ontario, as part of a big investigation.
Mr James said there is proof that backs up the accusation of second-degree murder, but he didn’t give more information because the investigation is still happening.
Mr Law is accused of both murder and helping people to commit suicide in Ontario. He has a total of 28 charges against him. If he is proven guilty of second-degree murder in Canada, he could go to jail for the rest of his life.
Mr Law is in jail and being looked into by police in different parts of Canada and other countries like the UK.
Mr James said that the police in Ontario are working together with international investigations.
Canadian police said Mr. Law had operated several websites that provided tools and substances to help people commit suicide. The police think he may have sent more than 1,200 packages with deadly chemicals to about 40 countries.
He was arrested in May for helping someone commit suicide. In August, the police added more charges against him, all related to deaths in Ontario.
The people who died were between 16 and 36 years old. James said that there were several victims who were younger than 18 years old.
Many people who say Mr. Law hurt them were in the UK too. The National Crime Agency in London said that Mr. Law sent packages to 272 people.
The NCA is looking into whether any laws were broken in the UK. They said 90 people who got the suspicious substance have died, but they can’t be sure it caused all of the deaths.
One person died after police checked on all the addresses that received a package, the agency said.
A person from the NCA said: “We are looking for clues to help us find evidence of crimes that have been committed in the UK or against its people. ”
David Parfett was happy to hear that Mr Law was being charged. His son, Tom, bought chemicals from Mr Law and died in October 2021.
“It tells others who support self-harm and suicide kits for vulnerable people that they can’t break the law,” Mr. Parfett explained to the media.
He said that there are important lessons for the authorities about how to better protect people on the internet.
Online, people are allowed to do things like telling others to kill themselves, even though it’s illegal in real life. “He said it needs to stop. ”
This is a big moment for many families of the victims, but some still have worries.
They are concerned that other sellers have replaced Mr. Law and are still selling the harmful chemical he is accused of supplying. Many people also think that the UK government has not done a good job in preventing this kind of crime.
Mr James from the York Regional Police said a big problem is that some of the websites Mr. Law uses are in other countries where Canadian laws don’t apply.
The families of the victims are also asking for those who created and run a website that promotes suicide to be held responsible for their actions. This website teaches people who are easily influenced how to end their lives. The BBC talked about the forum in October and even spoke to one of its creators, who said he is not part of it anymore.
Many of the people who died learned about Mr. Law and other sellers from a forum that the BBC won’t say the name of.
They read and followed the steps on how to do something to end their lives.
A 59-year-old Ghanaian entrepreneur, residing in the United States, has tragically lost his life to an armed robbery attack in Kumasi, just three weeks after returning to Ghana.
The victim, identified as Eric Acheampong, was reportedly preparing for retirement next year. The incident unfolded at a filling station in Aboabogya, Ashanti Region, where a gang of armed robbers carried out an attack.
Angel FM’s Kwasi Oppong reported, “Around 6:30, he was driving around the Aboabogya filling station with a passenger in his car. At that same time, a gang of robbers wielding guns had launched an attack on the filling station and had taken money and other items from the filling station after ordering everyone to lie down.”
As the robbers were leaving, they encountered a KIA truck and attempted to stop it but failed.
“Around 6:30, he was driving around the Aboabogya filling station with a passenger in his car. At that same time a gang of robbers wielding guns had launched an attack on the filling station and had taken monies and other items from the filling station after ordering everyone to lie down.
“While leaving, the robbers saw a KIA truck which had gone to sell water approaching, they tried to stop the truck amidst gunshots but failed.
“Then came an unregistered Highlander being driven by the deceased, which they also approached and went ahead to shoot him in the head after confronting him,” the reporter said.
Subsequently, an unregistered Highlander, driven by the deceased, approached. The robbers confronted him and proceeded to shoot him in the head.
The gang, consisting of approximately five individuals in their early twenties, fled the scene on foot before the arrival of the police. The robbers, who took only the mobile phone of the deceased, left his passenger unharmed.
Kwasi Oppong mentioned that the deceased had plans to return to America after the Christmas season.
This tragic incident underscores the vulnerability to criminal activities even during routine activities like visiting a filling station.
Ghanaian students currently benefiting from the government’s scholarship program in the United Kingdom (UK) have called on the Scholarship Secretariat to promptly release the stipends that have been pending for the last three months.
The students are now facing potential eviction from their rented accommodations, creating a distressing situation, especially with the onset of winter.
An anonymous student shared the collective concern among the scholarship recipients, highlighting the imminent threat of legal actions from landlords due to unpaid rent, adding an additional layer of stress to their academic pursuits.
“As we are entering the fourth month of our accommodation contract, without paying, they are threatening to take us to court for a breach of contract, which is now worrying us. We are stranded and unable to concentrate on our coursework. This is not an individual thing; it is all Ghana Government-sponsored students that are facing this challenge across the UK.”
The gravity of the situation is not limited to individual students but extends to all those sponsored by the Ghanaian government studying across various institutions in the UK.
In response to these challenges, Richard Gyamfi, Head of Diaspora Relations at the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, acknowledged the pressing issue and reassured the affected students.
Mr Gyamfi explained that the funds released to the Secretariat thus far have primarily been allocated to settling tuition fees.
However, he emphasized ongoing efforts to engage with the Ministry of Finance to secure the necessary funds urgently, ensuring the prompt disbursement of the outstanding stipends to alleviate the financial burden faced by the students.
Mr Gyamfi indicated that discussions are actively taking place within the parliamentary realm to address the financial constraints and to advocate for a swift resolution to the current predicament faced by the students on government scholarships in the UK.
“The monies released to us so far, we have used that to settle most of the tuition fees, and we are waiting on the Ministry of Finance to release funds to us so we can settle the stipends. We are in Parliament to defend our budget and also in Parliament to plead with the government to release some funds to us so we can settle the outstanding stipends.”
The UK has given Rwanda an extra £100 million this year as part of their agreement to move asylum seekers there.
In a letter to MPs, the top official at the Home Office said that the money was sent to the African nation in April.
Sir Matthew Rycroft said that they are expecting to receive another payment of £50 million next year.
The news came a few hours after Rishi Sunak promised to keep working on the plan because his immigration minister quit.
The plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda to process their applications and possibly allow them to live there, was first announced by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April 2022. This was to stop people from crossing the English Channel in small boats.
‘Something to hide’
The process has been delayed multiple times because of legal issues, and no people seeking asylum have been sent from the UK yet.
So far, we knew that the government had spent at least £140 million on the policy. Sir Matthew had said no before when asked to share new numbers. He said the government decided to show the costs every year instead.
The numbers were shared in a letter to Dame Diana Johnson and Dame Meg Hiller, who are in charge of committees about home affairs and government spending.
Dame Meg told BBC Radio 4’s Today show that the total cost of the policy was only disclosed after many questions.
“It seems like the government is hiding something,” she said.
Sir Matthew said that the extra payments were not connected to the new agreement signed between the UK and Rwanda this week. This is part of the government’s effort to change the policy that was found illegal by the Supreme Court last month.
The minister in charge of legal immigration, Tom Pursglove, said the money was being used to make sure the Rwanda policy was strong and solid.
He said the plan is very important for saving money on housing migrants in UK hotels, which is currently costing £8 million a day for the government.
Robert Jenrick’s job as immigration minister was divided into two after he quit. Michael Tomlinson is in charge of dealing with people who come to a country without permission.
Labour called the news about the extra costs “amazing”, with Yvette Cooper, who is the shadow home secretary, saying: “How many more unlimited amounts of money will Rishi Sunak give out before the Tories tell the truth about this plan being a complete joke. ”
“It’s like spending £100 million for each trip the home secretary takes to Rwanda,” she said.
The Home Office said Rwanda can initially take 200 people a year, but they want to increase that number later on.
The department thinks it will cost £169,000 to send someone to a safe country, not specifically Rwanda, compared to £106,000 if they stay in the UK.
Legal issues or problems with the law
Earlier in the day, Mr. Sunak gave a speech and asked the members of the Conservative Party to support his idea.
The prime minister talked the day after immigration minister Robert Jenrick quit because he didn’t think the government’s new policy would work.
Mr Sunak said the new law from the government will stop the cycle of legal problems about sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The bill makes judges treat Rwanda as a safe country and allows ministers to ignore parts of the Human Rights Act. However, it does not go as far as letting them get rid of the European Convention on Human Rights, as some on the right side of the Conservative Party have asked for.
The proposed law is being challenged by some members of the Conservative Party in Parliament next week.
On Thursday, Suella Braverman, who used to be in charge of keeping the country safe, said again that the plan would not work to prevent people from coming by boat. She wants the government to completely ignore international law.
The Times said that important government lawyers told No 10 that the new law might still let migrants argue against being sent to Rwanda.
Mr Pursglove told BBC Radio 4’s Today show that the new law would stop people from trying to delay the appeals process.
On Sky News, he said government officials will work with lawmakers to address any worries they have.
On Tuesday, a lady put up a video on X of a parent talking to a teacher outside a school in north London.
A video online shows a man and a woman talking to a teacher at the school gate and asking her about some accusations.
In the short video, the woman looks angrier and angrier at the worker while she struggles to speak clearly.
She said: ‘I can’t believe I’m writing this. ‘ My 10-year-old nephew was hit several times by his teacher at Christ The King School in Islington.
“The 10-year-old had to go to the hospital emergency room right away because he had very bad pains in his chest and back. ”
James Potts, who is in charge of the school, said that someone reported something happened at the school in November.
“As soon as we heard the accusation, we took it very seriously and did everything we could to address it. ”
‘An employee was put on hold while they checked everything out. ‘
We are collaborating with the London police, Islington local government, and the Westminster church.
We work with parents, carers, and the community to keep our students safe and happy. We want to make sure our school is a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
“I can’t say anything more until the investigation is finished. ”
A spokesperson for the Met Police said that they were contacted on November 10th about a report of a ten-year-old student being hurt by a staff member at a school in Tollington Park, N4.
No one got badly hurt.
Protecting kids is our most important job and we take any claims about their safety very seriously.
“We are talking to the people involved in the incident and some witnesses. The investigation is still happening. ”
We are working with others like the school and the local government to move this forward as fast as we can.
Flood warnings are in the Midlands, north-east, and south-west. Roads are flooded and it’s difficult to drive on them.
Dorset and Somerset were the most affected by the floods, and a big rescue operation was done to save people from the water.
In Somerset, lots of water covered the areas and flooded homes. People didn’t have power or clean water.
At the same time, the center of York flooded because the River Ouse overflowed due to bad weather, while cold temperatures greeted people on Wednesday morning.
People are worried that there will be more flooding because the Met Office has issued five warnings for heavy rain on Thursday. The UK has already had a lot of snow and heavy rain.
Flights to and from Munich were stopped on Tuesday because the runway was icy from freezing rain. But now, flights are running again.
A high-ranking police officer, who didn’t want to give their name, told the media that investigators from Britain and Kenya went to the place where the crime happened near Nairobi.
The team is “almost ready to catch people,” the officer said.
He said that Maj Kevin McCool was riding his motorcycle outside of the base when a group of gunmen attacked him.
A group of men followed and attacked him when he drove into Vet Farm, a popular hiking spot about 25 km (16 miles) from Nairobi.
The men asked for money and the phone. Then one of them took out a gun, according to the officer.
Maj McCool’s father said before that his son thought the gun wasn’t real.
People who saw it happen told the police that the soldier was quickly taken to the hospital, where doctors said he had died.
Grant Shapps, who is in charge of the military in Britain, said that Maj McCool’s death is very sad.
The British army has a place it always stays at just outside Nairobi. They go there to practice and get ready for missions.
The person in charge of keeping the UK safe says a new agreement with Rwanda solves the problems the UK’s highest court had with the government’s plan, which the court said was not allowed last month.
The court said that the plan to send migrants to Rwanda could cause problems with people’s rights.
James Cleverly said that Rwanda had promised to keep people safe when they come to the country.
The policy is part of the government’s plan to stop migrants from coming to England by crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that stopping the boats is one of the five most important things for his government before the next general election.
The plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, announced in April 2022 by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has been delayed many times because of legal problems. No asylum seekers have been sent to Rwanda yet.
The highest court in the UK said no to the policy because they were not sure if the Rwandan government would follow a law called non-refoulment.
The rule says that a country cannot send back people seeking asylum to their home country if it would be dangerous for them.
After the decision, Mr. Sunak said his government will make a new agreement with Rwanda and create new laws to show that the country is secure.
The new law is expected to be brought to Parliament this week. Legal worries in a courtroom.
Mr Cleverly went to Kigali and signed a new important agreement with Rwanda’s foreign affairs minister Vincent Biruta on Tuesday.
He is the third person in charge of the home department to visit Rwanda, after Priti Patel and Suella Braverman.
The British government says the new agreement makes sure that people moved to Rwanda are safe and won’t be sent back to a place where they could be harmed.
The agreement creates a new group of judges from different countries who are experts in asylum cases. They will listen to and decide on individual cases.
The government says a committee will watch over Rwanda’s asylum system. This committee will have more power to enforce the rules.
The government says a committee will create a way for people who have moved and their lawyers to report problems.
At a press meeting, Mr Cleverly said that Rwanda is a safe country. He also stated that he believes the treaty satisfies the concerns of the judges in the Supreme Court.
He said that this would be shown in the country’s laws very soon.
The asylum policy has already cost the UK government at least £140 million. Cleverly said the UK has not paid Rwanda any extra money for the new treaty.
The home secretary said he doesn’t see any good reason to doubt Rwanda’s ability to handle asylum cases. He wants the program to start as soon as possible.
He said Rwanda is known for being kind and was not happy about the way people were criticizing Rwanda.
Rwanda’s foreign affairs minister said that the UK may have blocked the asylum policy because of their own political issues.
But Biruta said that there is always a way to make any system made by people better, whether it is from Rwanda or Britain.
“We worked on this treaty because of this reason. ” To ensure we can make our asylum system better and have a fair and clear asylum system in place.
Conservative members of parliament who have strong beliefs are pushing Mr Sunak to stop boats carrying migrants from coming into the country.
In 2022, over 45,700 people came to the UK by crossing the Channel, the most ever recorded.
The UK government is being asked to reduce the number of people coming to live in the country, as it has reached a record high of 745,000 in 2022.
The Conservatives have promised many times to reduce the number of people coming to live in the UK since they started running the country in 2010. They also want to have more say over who can come into the UK after the Brexit vote.
On Monday, the government said they will make it harder for skilled foreign workers to come to the UK by raising the minimum salary they must earn from £26,200 to £38,700.
Mr Cleverly said that last year, 300,000 people who could have come to the UK will not be able to come in the future.
Shapps is having a hard time getting enough help through the Rafah crossing, so he is thinking about using two RFA ships – Argus and Lyme Bay – to provide aid from the sea.
No more information was provided.
He said a Royal Air Force plane will fly over Gaza and Israel to look for people held by Hamas. The plane will not have weapons.
British people are hostages, but we do not know how many yet.
Shapps promises to do everything he can to bring British hostages back home.
The French government has agreed to stop people from using disposable e-cigarettes because they are harmful to the environment and people’s health.
It still needs support from France’s Senate and approval from the EU Commission before it can become a law.
If both agree on the bill, the government thinks the ban will start in September 2024.
Many other countries in Europe, like the UK, Ireland, and Germany, are thinking about doing the same things.
Disposable vapes are sold in France at tobacconists for about €9 (£7. 70), which is less than the cost of a pack of 20 cigarettes. They are expected to provide about 600 puffs, which is like smoking 40 cigarettes.
In September, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, who is frequently seen using a vaping device in parliament, announced that the government is working on a new plan to reduce smoking.
“Deputy Francesca Pasquini said that they are very cheap, have tasty fruity and sugary flavors, and are small enough to easily hide from parents. ”
Advocates say that companies, especially those in China, are purposefully trying to attract teenagers by making their products look like candy and offering lots of different flavors like marshmallow, chocolate, watermelon, and ice candy.
Last month, the Alliance Against Tobacco (ACT) said that 15% of French 13-16 year olds have tried smoking at least once. Many people say they began when they were 11 or 12 years old. French leader Élisabeth Borne uses an e-cigarette while answering questions in a meeting at The National Assembly in Paris on 18 July 2023.
Disposable e-cigarettes can harm the environment too. In the UK, a study found that over one million electronic devices were being thrown away every week last year according to the environmental organization Material Focus.
Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau said that e-cigarettes are a big problem for the environment.
“It’s a big problem for the environment,” a group of French doctors and environmentalists wrote in Le Monde newspaper earlier this year.
They explained that each throwaway e-cigarette is made of plastic and has a non-removable battery with about 0. 15 grams of lithium, along with nicotine salts and a small amount of heavy metals.
Vaping is thought to be a little better for your health than smoking. But the vapor you breathe in can still have some of the same chemicals as cigarettes, like nicotine. Experts are saying that it’s too soon to know how bad vaping is for you.
Fourteen people in Thailand died when a two-level bus went off the road and hit a tree.
Pictures on the internet show the bus tilted over and its front broken in half, with some parts of the tree stuck in it.
Thirty-two people got hurt in a crash in Prachuap Khiri Khan, a province by the ocean in the south of the country.
Thailand has a lot of car crashes, which cause thousands of deaths each year.
Some people think that this is because the roads in the country are not very safe.
In 2022, 15,000 people died in car accidents in Thailand, according to the Road Accidents Data Centre. In the UK, where there are slightly fewer people, the number is 1,700.
In 2021, almost one out of every three deaths in the country was because of traffic accidents, according to the World Health Organization.
The reason for the crash on Monday night is not known for sure, but the police think the driver might not have gotten enough sleep. AFP told
He was really hurt but he lived. Officials are also testing how much alcohol is in his blood, the news agency reported.
The police are still checking to make sure they know who died in the crash.
Prachuap Khiri Khan is a favorite spot for tourists because of its nice beaches, caves, and walking paths.
Rescuers worked for a long time to help the dead and injured people out of the bus, according to the Sawang Prachuap Dhammasathan Foundation.
Photos on the foundation’s Facebook page showed a lot of people trying to remove the tree that was on top of the bus. Someone broke the car windows with a hammer.
In the past three years, fewer people have died in road accidents. However, Thailand is still one of the top 10 worst countries for road safety.
However, very few people are asking for safety improvements, and the problem hardly ever comes up during elections.
Many people think this is because most of the people who die – more than 70% – are riding motorbikes, and they are usually some of the poorest people in society. Also, most accidents happen on country roads.
Wearing helmets is often not enforced in Thailand, but it is enforced in Vietnam and Indonesia. Alcohol often causes accidents.
The government in Thailand tends to be influenced by the campaigns supported by rich city residents.
The roads in Thailand are in good condition for driving fast, but they are often not well-lit or marked, which can make accidents more likely.
Sometimes, people who speed don’t get punished. The fines are not very high and are sometimes not even paid.
It doesn’t happen very often that Thai drivers lose their driving privileges.
British lawyers may go to courts in Rwanda as part of an agreement that allows the UK government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
It would try to solve the problems that the Supreme Court raised when it said the Rwanda plan was not allowed last month.
More information will be given on Tuesday. Home Secretary James Cleverly will go to Rwanda to sign the agreement.
It will be followed by a new law to stop the plan from being blocked in the courts again.
At the same time, the government is going to announce its plans to lower the number of people who can legally move to the country. This is because new data shows that there were a lot of people who moved to the country last year.
Starting in April 2022, some people who are seeking asylum will be sent to Rwanda to apply there.
After the Supreme Court ruling last month, government officials are hurrying to bring back the policy before spring, when they want the first flights to start.
People who are not given permission to stay in Rwanda as refugees can try to stay there for other reasons, or they can ask for protection in another safe country.
The highest court in the UK said no to the policy because it was not certain that the courts in Rwanda would follow a law called non-refoulment.
A country can’t send asylum seekers back to their home if it’s not safe for them.
After deciding, the government said it would ask for a formal agreement with Rwanda. It thought this would give better legal promises than the current deal they have.
A new agreement is almost finalized. It may involve British lawyers working in Rwandan courts to help with the Supreme Court’s worries, according to the media.
The Sunday Times said that the agreement would give Rwanda an extra £15m to hire more people to make its asylum processing system better and bigger.
The UK government has given £140m to Rwanda for the program. The first flight was supposed to happen in June 2022, but it was cancelled because of legal problems.
The Rwanda policy was made because many more people were coming to the UK illegally in small boats.
Legal migration
The government will also announce later how they plan to decrease the number of people coming to the country legally.
Backbenchers are asking ministers to do something because official numbers showed that last year 745,000 more people migrated than was thought.
Ministers are thinking about getting rid of the list of jobs where foreign workers can be hired for less pay than usual.
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has said it may be a good idea to limit the number of people who can come to the UK with migrants.
Ugandan opposition politician and former musician Bobi Wine visited the UK for the first time in ten years. This happened more than three weeks after the UK government allowed him to enter the country again, following a reported nine-year ban.
“London, it’s been 10 years since I last visited. ” he wrote alongside a picture of himself in front of BBC’s London office on Wednesday.
Bobi Wine may have been stopped from going to the UK because of his song “Burn Dem” from 2014. Some people said the song had words that encouraged attacks on gay people.
Bobi Wine was not allowed to go to the UK after his song came out. He had to cancel two shows there.
The UK Home Office did not say if they banned Bobi Wine when The Guardian asked them.
On 5 November, Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said that he could go back to the UK.
“I am happy to tell you that the UK ban on me has been lifted. I will be visiting the UK soon after 10 years,” Bobi Wine posted on X.
He said his lawyers worked really hard to lift the travel ban.
He said the lawyers argued that it wasn’t right for the UK government to let Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni visit, because he’s a well-known ruler who treats people badly, while stopping others who are working to make their country free and fair from visiting.
The former wife of a famous French killer is being tried for helping to murder a British student named Joanna Parrish in 1990.
Monique Olivier, who is 75 years old and already in jail for life, is accused of helping Michel Fourniret, who is now dead, commit two more murders, including one of a nine-year old girl.
Joanna Parrish, who was 20 years old, was found dead in a river close to the town of Auxerre.
The student from Leeds University was teaching English during their gap year.
She was hurt and attacked.
More than 30 years later, the trial in the Paris suburb of Nanterre is the first opportunity for her family to finally see some fairness and punishment for the person responsible. Her mom and dad, who are not married anymore, are coming.
Fourniret was given the nickname “Beast of the Ardennes” because he was found guilty of killing seven young women in 2008. Ten years later, he admitted to killing Joanna Parrish and two others while he was in prison.
In France, people are most interested in the story of nine-year-old Estelle Mouzin. She went missing on her way home from school in Guermantes, which is southeast of Paris, in 2003. People think she was the last person that Fourniret hurt. They have never found her body.
Fourniret died in 2021 before he could go to court for these three killings.
Joanna Parrish was teaching English in Auxerre when she was killed.
Olivier was found guilty in the 2008 trial for helping Fourniret with his murderous sex obsession. As the woman working with him, she gained the trust of victims who would have been more cautious if it was just a man.
In court on Tuesday, the judge asked her if she had anything to say. She replied, “I feel bad about everything that happened. ”
In the first murder, the woman picked up a stranger while she was in the van. Then she picked up another person on the road who was pretending to be a hitch-hiker.
Olivier met Fourniret in the 1980s after he put an ad in a Catholic magazine. He was in prison for rape.
They started writing letters to each other, and he confessed that he was very focused on women who were still virgins. He called young girls “membranes on legs”.
In a strange turn of events, in 1988 the two people also found a lot of gold that had been buried by a group in a cemetery outside Paris.
Fourniret found out about the treasure from someone he was in jail with. He and Olivier found it with the cellmate’s wife, who Fourniret later killed.
The couple used the money to buy a big house near the border of Belgium, and they used it as their main place to work from for many years. Fourniret and Olivier drove around France in a van and picked their victims in areas where other serial killers might have been.
Admitted French serial killer Michel Fourniret walks out of the Police Headquarters in Dinant on 08 July 2004.
This might have been a reason for why the police investigation failed. In Joanna Parrish’s situation, Auxerre was where Emile Louis lived. He was a bus driver who was put in jail in 2004 for killing seven young women.
Fourniret was caught in 2003 after trying to kidnap someone in Belgium. The next year, Olivier admitted things for the first time, and little by little Fourniret started telling the truth, even though it was often unclear and didn’t always make sense. The couple ended their marriage while they were in jail in 2010.
Just like in the 2008 trial, people in Nanterre are very interested in how much responsibility Olivier has. Her lawyer says she has a personality that follows others and did everything to make Fourniret happy. The lawyer says that the murders would not have happened if Olivier was not involved.
Mark Regev, who used to represent Israel in the UK, says that there can’t be peace with Hamas.
Regev told the media that it is not possible to make peace with Hamas because they have said so themselves. This happened on the News hour programme on Monday evening.
He was probably talking about a statement made earlier this month by Taher El-Nounou, a media advisor for the group Hamas. He told the New York Times that Hamas wants the war with Israel to continue on all the borders and never stop.
“We need to discuss a future without Hamas,” Regev said.
When someone asked if Israel will help rebuild the Gaza Strip, which was badly damaged by Israel’s bombing, Regev said his country’s money is being used to rebuild towns in southern Israel instead.
He said he thinks a lot of other countries will help pay for Gaza to be rebuilt.
We didn’t start or want this war, as you know. “Hamas is to blame for starting the fighting,” he said.
A joint UK and Ireland venture of more than £60m is set to be declared to make two modern science investigate centres to see at climate alter.
The declaration is anticipated to made at the British and Irish Between time Conference (BIIGC) in Dublin afterward.
The centres will center on regions such as biodiversity and nourishment maintainability.
They will bring together scholastics and policymakers over government divisions in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK.
The declaration will be made by the Irish and UK science priests, Simon Harris and Michelle Donelan, as well as Katrina Godfrey, the gracious hireling in charge of Northern Ireland’s Division of Horticulture, Environment and Provincial Issues (DAERA).
It has long been perceived that cross-border co-operation is required to handle climate alter.
Numerous of the objectives in both wards are as of now adjusted, like coming to net zero by 2050.
So financing these co-centres brings together individuals and educate who may as of now be working on the same things but doing so uninformed of each other.
Breaking down those investigate silos ought to slope up the speed and scientific robustness of any discoveries conjointly lead to arrangements more rapidly.
Financing to discover arrangements is vital – but finding subsidizing to execute them is another thing.
One inquire about middle will see at climate, biodiversity and water whereas the other will be devoted to inquiring about maintainable and strong nourishment frameworks.
Each will be driven by a group of scholastics from the Extraordinary Britain, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The program will be supported for six a long time with a total venture of €70m (£60.7m).
Typically made up of €40m (£34.7m) from Science Establishment Ireland, £17m from Northern Ireland’s Division of Horticulture, Environment and Country Issues (DAERA) and up to £12m through UK Investigate and Advancement (UKRI).
The centres will formally begin their work within the modern year and be supported until 2030.
A 19-year-old Nigerian, Ogechi Eke, has been convicted of murdering a 19-year-old Ghanaian student, Kwabena Osei-Poku, at the University of Northampton.
The incident, which occurred on April 24, 2023, involved Eke and his accomplice, Melvin Lebaga-Idubor, stabbing Osei-Poku in a dispute over a significant amount of cannabis.
According to a report by northants.police.uk, the two Nigerians initially arranged to meet the victim at a university flat, claiming they wanted to buy drugs from him.
However, upon meeting, Eke and Lebaga-Idubor decided to steal the drugs and warned Osei-Poku not to sell in the area.
The altercation led to a fight, during which Lebaga-Idubor stabbed Osei-Poku twice. Despite the paramedics’ efforts, Osei-Poku succumbed to his injuries.
The incident was captured in CCTV footage released by Northamptonshire Police, depicting the victim pursuing the accused on the street and the two Nigerians running back from the scene.
UK authorities unveil CCTV footage detailing fatal stabbing of Ghanaian student by two Nigerians#INDViral Ghana Card | Kwadwo Sheldon | Florence Obinim | Agya Koo | Morris Babyface #TheNewForce Nathaniel Bassey pic.twitter.com/060twAaUqb
This led to a fight and an eyewitness is reported to have heard Lebage-Idubor say, “This is my strip. What are you doing—strutting drugs around here? Our line is here.”
Lebaga-Idubor successfully took the drugs from the victim’s hand and left the campus with Eke.
Osei-Poku then pursued them to retrieve his drugs, leading to an altercation.
During the confrontation on New South Bridge Road, Lebaga-Idubor stabbed Osei-Poku twice, resulting in his death at the scene despite paramedics’ efforts.
CCTV footage released by Northamptonshire Police captured the incident, showing the victim following the accused on the street.
The video also depicted the two Nigerians running back from the scene and entering a building, where one of them was seen assisting the other, who was injured.
In the past, when politicians visited Israel, they used to go to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem to show their respect for the Holocaust.
Nowadays, they are going to visit a kibbutz close to Gaza where many Israelis were killed by Hamas on 7 October. This morning, David Cameron visited kibbutz Be’eri, which was his first trip to Israel as the new UK foreign secretary.
Cameron and his Israeli friend Eli Cohen walked through the farm area where about 100 people were killed, not far from Gaza.
He went over the broken rocks and entered the destroyed homes that still smelled of burnt materials. Then he said that he had seen and heard things that he will always remember.
Cameron asked everyone in the stopped hostage deal to make it happen. He said it was important to take a break to help people in Gaza and let the hostages go.
But Cohen said that even after setting the hostages free, Israel would keep fighting to reach its aim – which is to get rid of Hamas control in Gaza.
The conference is a collaboration between Britain, Somalia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), along with groups like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
People from over 20 countries are coming.
Mr Sunak said there will be a new online center where British scientists can connect with global research about crops that can survive in changing climates.
As the summit started, the UN asked donors to quickly give more help and support long-term solutions to fix the main reasons for hunger.
The Supreme Court of Britain overturned the contentious plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda on Wednesday, striking a possibly fatal blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s centre piece migration policy and paving the way for the extreme wing of his Conservative party to launch an expected uprising.
The highest court in the United Kingdom dismissed the government’s argument and upheld an earlier appeals court decision that declared the programme illegal, as it has been strongly denounced by humanitarian organisations.
It thwarts a plan to transport illegally arriving asylum seekers from the UK to the country in east Africa. Since its initial announcement in April 2022, the plan has faced numerous court challenges and has not succeeded in deporting any individuals.
The Conservative Party’s right is predicted to demand that Britain withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a move that has been hanging over the government for months and deepened divisions between moderates and populists inside the party’s coalition.
Edward Enninful OBE, the editor-in-chief of British Vogue, has been recognized as the most influential black individual in the UK by the Powerlist 2024, an annual publication from Powerful Media celebrating people of African, African Caribbean, and African American heritage.
This list, now in its 18th year, is aimed at providing young people with influential black role models.
The Powerlist 2024 also includes individuals such as Afua Kyei, who serves as the chief financial officer at the Bank of England, and Steven Bartlett, known for his role on Dragon’s Den and his work as a podcaster.
Notably, Enninful is the first black man to have held the prestigious position of editor-in-chief at British Vogue. He recently announced his decision to step down from the role to focus on expanding the brand globally and pursue other projects. Additionally, he holds the position of European editorial director at Condé Nast.
The 51-year-old described it as an honour to be number one on the list, which he said “shines a light on black people really breaking boundaries, who are unafraid and champion what it means to be truly diverse in their own industries”.
Born in Ghana, Enninful relocated to London with his parents and six siblings during his early years. As a teenager, he was discovered by talent scouts while on a train and briefly pursued a career in modeling.
At the age of 18, Enninful embarked on his editorial career as the fashion director of the British youth culture magazine i-D, becoming the youngest person to hold an editor’s role at a major international fashion publication.
The Powerlist acknowledges outstanding individuals across various industries, encompassing business, science, technology, and the arts. Notable figures on the 2024 list include Lord Woolley of Woodford, co-founder of Operation Black Vote and principal at Cambridge University’s Homerton College, as well as model and activist Munroe Bergdorf. Comedian Mo Gilligan and entrepreneur Patricia Bright are also recognized.
Previous top-ranked individuals on the Powerlist have included Jacky Wright, former chief digital officer and corporate vice-president at Microsoft US, seven-time Formula One champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, and former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman.
The Powerlist 2024 top 10:
Edward Enninful, OBE – editor-in-chief of British Vogue, European editorial director of Vogue
Dean Forbes – CEO, Forterro, Partner Corten Capital
Afua Kyei – chief financial officer, Bank of England
Marvin Rees – mayor of Bristol
Tunde Olanrewaju – senior partner and managing partner, McKinsey & Company
Joshua Siaw, MBE – partner, White & Case
Syreeta Brown – group chief people and communications officer, Virgin Money UK
Paulette Simpson, CBE – executive, corporate affairs and public policy, Jamaica National Bank; executive director, The Voice Media Group
Vanessa Kingori, CBE – chief business officer, Condé Britain, Vogue European business advisor
Lord Woolley of Woodford – co-founder, Operation Black Vote, and principal, Homerton College, Cambridge University
A man who ran away to the Netherlands after police found out he was a drug dealer through a secret messaging app has been put in jail.
The police in Cheshire discovered that Andrew Phillips was using Encrochat, a communication platform, to sell drugs.
The police said that the 38-year-old man ran away from his house in Abbey Hey, Runcorn, but was found at a house in Haarlem.
He admitted planning to sell very dangerous drugs and was given a punishment of 14 years in jail at Liverpool Crown Court.
A police spokesperson said that after investigating Phillips‘s messages, they found out that from March 27th to June 2nd, 2020, he organized numerous deliveries of cocaine and cannabis, and also distributed the drugs to other people.
They said he gave out at least 26 pounds (12 kilograms) of cocaine and 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of cannabis during that time. The police went to his house on October 26, 2021 to arrest him, but he had already left the country.
Teaming up with the National Crime Agency and Dutch officials, he was discovered and taken into custody while leaving a home in Haarlem on March 30, 2022.
Detective Inspector Nick Henderson said that Cheshire Police had been very determined in their efforts to catch the people who were found to be using EncroChat.
He said that criminals like Phillips thought the service would always be safe and secure, so they could talk freely without getting caught. But while Phillips benefited from his criminal activities. It was bound to happen to him eventually.
In the past two weeks, there have been Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that resulted in the death of at least 4,651 people. Out of those deaths, 40% were children.
Gaza’s health ministry gave new numbers of people who have died and been injured. They said that 14,245 people have been hurt, and 70% of them are children and women.
Israel attacked Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon during the night and today as the fighting in the area continues for three weeks.
Warplanes attacked places in the trapped Strip and a religious place in the occupied West Bank that is believed to be used by Hamas fighters. They also targeted two airports in Syria.
An Israeli military spokesperson said that Israel is going to have more attacks on Gaza and start a new phase of the war.
In the past few hours, the Israeli military claimed that they attacked a place in Jenin, in the West Bank, believed to be a terrorist hideout. It was reported that a group affiliated with Hamas was inside a mosque at the compound.
Palestinians were told to move from the northern part of Gaza to the southern part.
Israel has been close to starting a ground attack in Gaza for a few days now, as a way to react to Hamas’ violent actions.
Many tanks and a large number of soldiers have gathered at the demarcation line between territories that are occupied. The leaders have talked about a future phase of actions, but they have not given specific details about it.
A man in Belgium has been given a prison sentence of 11 years for leading a big group involved in smuggling people across the English Channel.
The police think that Hewa Rahimpur, who is 30 years old, was responsible for a group that brought 10,000 individuals to the UK using small boats.
Rahimpur was 23 years old when he came to Britain in 2016 and asked for protection, because he believed he would be mistreated in his country, Iran, as a Kurd.
He was given permission to remain in 2020.
Rahimpur came to the UK and was allowed to stay. He started a barbershop in London with a friend. However, he then used Britain as a hub for a large-scale criminal enterprise.
He was responsible for a group that obtained boats, engines, and life-jackets for people who wanted to cross the water as migrants. They got the material from Turkey and China and moved it to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The boats were taken to the northern coast of France and given to groups of people who wanted to move there and were waiting in Calais and Dunkirk.
The people who migrated, including women and children, were told basic instructions on how to operate the boats to reach Britain, and then started their journey across the Channel.
Some boats were extremely dangerous because they were not built properly and were held together with tape and pieces of wood.
A migration expert named Stef Janssens told the BBC that around 30 to 40 individuals were placed in each boat. Janssens mentioned that the smugglers demonstrate a complete disregard for the value of human life. It’s surprising that there are not more people dying.
It is believed that the gang from Rahimpur was responsible for nearly 10% of people illegally crossing to the UK within a period of 12 to 18 months.
Mr Janssens said that this is the first time a person in a powerful position in a network that uses small boats is being held accountable. He described the trial as a crucial step in combating global groups involved in smuggling people.
He said that this case is directly connected to the 31 people who died in the North Sea. Mr Janssens witnessed a conversation on WhatsApp between Rahimpur and individuals on his boat who were crossing the Channel. They requested him to contact the police as they were scared for their lives.
In a message, Rahimpur said they needed to continue until they reached the waters of Britain. There, the UK Coast Guard would come and bring them to the UK.
You can understand from this conversation that these people are working really hard because if they don’t, they will earn less money.
UK’s National Crime Agency and Belgian authorities worked together to investigate a situation where some boats were found in the trunk of a car near the border between Belgium and France in October 2021.
The police caught Rahimpur in Ilford, which is in East London, in May 2022. They took away 135 boats, 45 engines, and over 1,200 life jackets.
He was arrested as a result of a joint investigation by police in the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Over 40 people were taken into custody in four different countries in one of the largest law enforcement actions ever.
Rahimpur got a fine of €80,000, but experts think that his 11-year prison sentence is not likely to stop human traffickers from doing their illegal activities in the future.
People who bring people into a country illegally are getting better at what they do, making it harder for the authorities to catch them.
After Rahimpur was arrested, more people have still been coming to the UK on small boats. More than 24,200 people have travelled across the English Channel from France this year.
And many people want it.
People who move to another country give a lot of money to people who help them illegally cross the sea. A group called Rahimpur earned about €60m (£52m) in 2021 by organizing these illegal trips.
Even though there have been dangerous accidents, people are still willing to take risks and try to reach Europe on small boats. In June last year, it is believed that 500 individuals lost their lives when a boat overturned near the southern coast of Greece.
Craig Turner, who is the NCA Deputy Director, said that the criminal groups did not care about the people they were smuggling. However, he also mentioned that the agency will do everything possible to stop and break up these criminal groups bringing people to the UK.
Their first performance will happen at the Forum in Bath. Bristol Beacon will be hosting the event.
The tour is a chance for Ukraine to show their music and culture while dealing with the conflict with Russia.
They want to collect £24,000 by selling tickets at 17 different places in the UK to help the NSOU.
The NSOU has decided to go on a tour in the UK as a part of its efforts to “fight the war on the cultural front“.
The first tour show will happen at the Bath Forum on Tuesday.
To show that the UK supports Ukraine during the conflict, the NSOU has been asked to visit the House of Commons and meet with important members of Parliament.
The UK government has decided to not charge the visa fees for the 90 members of the orchestra. ‘We have strong feelings’
Alexander Hornostai, who manages and produces NSOU, said that they are happy to come back to the UK after 22 years. They want to make Ukrainian culture known worldwide. They have strong feelings when they perform and express their emotions through music.
One side has pain, sadness, and suffering. The other side has hope for Ukraine’s victory and a good future for our country.
With no planes going in or out of the country, the whole group of people in the orchestra have to travel on a bus for 20 hours and cross two borders that have fighting happening, to get to Warsaw, Poland.
Members will then get on a plane to go to Heathrow Airport. British Airways is helping with this flight.
A fundraiser has been created by the tour promoters, IMG Artists, with a goal of collecting £24,000. All the money collected will be given directly to the orchestra.
The goal is set based on the estimated number of 24,000 people in the UK who are expected to be reached.
Todd Wills, the person in charge of Bristol Beacon, said: “This special trip is a chance to demonstrate that the people of the UK support them and understand the significance of Ukrainian culture. We hope many local people will come to see them and give them a warm welcome. ”
The government wants the Bank of England to find ways to use Russian assets to help pay for Ukraine’s war, according to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in an interview with the BBC.
Mr Hunt said that finance ministers from various countries have talked about finding additional methods, other than sanctions, to interfere with Russia’s capability to finance the war.
“Mr Hunt said that this war is not allowed or lawful. ”
We must do everything possible to stop Russia from giving money to it.
Mr Hunt talked to the BBC at the IMF’s yearly conference in Marrakech and said that finance ministers from the G7, which are the biggest economies in the world, talked about whether Ukraine’s defense could be funded by using Russia’s government-owned properties.
“He said that we should do whatever it takes to make sure Putin understands that he won’t be able to continue being aggressive because it will cost him too much. ”
The G7 group announced on Thursday that they will look into how to tax profits from Russian assets that have been taken in order to help Ukraine. They will do this while following the relevant laws.
In September, the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Mr. Hunt showed that they agreed with a European Union idea to tax the extra money gained from the profits of Russian assets that have been kept locked.
Earlier this year, the US considered using their own resources to help financially support Ukraine’s defense. However, they later concluded that this would not be allowed by law.
On Friday, Mr. Hunt said that Britain will always follow the rules, but the G7 group has requested central banks to explore any options because we strongly believe that this war is against the law of the world.
The chancellor said that the war in Ukraine was taking longer to resolve than people wanted, and that the world needs to prevent getting tired of dealing with Ukraine’s situation.
He said, “We need to be honest and tell people that it will take a while. So, for now, we must be careful and cautious in how we handle the British economy. ”
The European Union and the US are trying to find better ways to use money that Russia cannot access and make the punishments against Russia work better.
On Thursday, the US government punished two companies for breaking a limit on the cost of Russian oil.
Several countries, such as the US, the G7, the European Union, and Australia, joined forces to limit Russia’s crude oil prices at $60 per barrel. This was done in order to restrict Russia’s ability to continue its war against Ukraine.
The US discovered that a ship owned by Turkey’s Ice Pearl Navigation Corp and a tanker owned by Lumber Marine of the United Arab Emirates sold crude oil for $80 and $75 per barrel, respectively.
The US Treasury has prevented the companies from buying or owning property in the US.
The oil prices increased on Friday because sanctions were made stricter.
The price of West Texas Intermediate also went up by 3. 6% to $8658
The UK is sending two Royal Navy ships and surveillance planes to the eastern Mediterranean to make security stronger, according to the government.
It has been six days since Hamas attacked Israel unexpectedly, and there has been a lot of violence since then.
The airplane will start looking for potential dangers to the area’s safety starting from Friday. This includes keeping an eye out for any illegal movement of weapons to terrorist organizations.
Three Merlin helicopters and Royal Marines are also being sent out.
Rishi Sunak talked to Israel’s leader on Thursday to confirm that the UK still stands by their side.
Downing Street said that he called Benjamin Netanyahu to show his strong support for Israel after Hamas committed a terrible terrorist attack.
Number 10 said that they will send soldiers to help increase security in the nearby area soon. They also repeated that the UK supports Israel in fighting against terrorism.
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps stated that these vessels are not warships, but rather ships that can help with hospital facilities.
He said that sending the boats was also meant to stop others from getting involved in the area and to criticize outside influence. When someone asked about how Israel is reacting to the attacks, the defense secretary said that Israel has the right to protect itself. He also explained that, unlike Hamas, Israel is giving warnings beforehand that it will go after Hamas terrorists, which is the correct action to take.
Mr Sunak talked to Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi about opening the Rafah crossing in Gaza. This is important because it will allow for humanitarian aid to reach the area and will also provide a way for British and other citizens to leave.
The prime minister wants to strengthen the military teams in Israel, Cyprus, and other places in the region, in order to help with planning for unexpected situations.
He said that the UK’s military and diplomatic teams in the area will help other countries in making sure things are safe and that help gets to the many innocent people affected by a cruel attack done by Hamas terrorists. Hamas did a really big attack in southern Israel on Saturday. They killed at least 1,300 people and took about 150 hostages to Gaza.
Over 1,300 people have died in Gaza because of Israel’s air strikes in response.
The Foreign Office is helping British people stuck in Israel fly back home. The first plane was supposed to depart from Tel Aviv on Thursday. More planes are also scheduled to leave in the near future, but this depends on security conditions.
A spokesperson said that the foreign secretary has come to Israel today to show the UK’s strong support for the Israeli people after the terrorist attacks by Hamas.
“He will meet with people who survived the attacks, as well as important leaders of Israel, to explain that the UK supports Israel‘s right to protect itself. ”
The UK chapter of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has officially endorsed Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia as their choice to lead the party in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
This announcement came following a closed-door meeting held in Accra, Ghana, on August 25, 2023, where the NPP UK branch leadership, led by Chairman Kingsley Adumattah Agyapong, convened for a special electoral college session.
During the meeting, the branch party executives unanimously voiced their support for Bawumia’s candidacy.
“We believe the vice president, amongst all other candidates, is the one who can lead the NPP to retain power and break the eight-year cyclical change of governance,” said Agyapong while stressing the importance of continuity in the party’s developmental initiatives.
“The candidature of Bawumia is strategically important and the right move to break the eight,” he said, highlighting the consensus reached among the majority of members.
The decision to endorse Bawumia followed a comprehensive evaluation of all candidates and extensive discussions with the general membership in the UK.
The branch executives, including the first vice chairman, Alex Appiah Mensah, branch secretary, Otuo Acheampong, and branch women’s organiser, Patricia Achiaa Boakye, reaffirmed their dedication to securing a resounding victory for Bawumia on November 4, 2023.
In response to the endorsement, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia expressed his gratitude to the NPP UK branch for their ongoing support.
“I am deeply appreciative of the confidence and trust the NPP UK branch has placed in me. Together, we will continue the good developmental programmes and initiatives for the betterment of our country,” he said.
The UK branch leadership had previously expressed their appreciation to Bawumia for his active involvement in the NPP International Women’s Conference 2023 held in London. They also reiterated their unwavering commitment to supporting the government and the president.
It has become harder to find direct flights from Israel to the UK because more airlines are cancelling flights due to the recent attacks by Hamas.
Virgin Atlantic currently operates one flight to and from Tel Aviv each day, instead of the previous two flights. On the other hand, British Airways still operates one round trip to Tel Aviv.
EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Air France, Lufthansa, and Emirates have all stopped flying to the UK.
Few flights are available because most of the seats are already reserved.
An example would be the first flight from BA to the UK on Sunday 15 October. It costs over £1,300 for a one-way ticket.
Flightradar24, a website that keeps track of flights, informed the BBC that many airlines have cancelled their journeys because of safety worries. However, they also mentioned that the airspace above Israel is not completely closed. This means that the decision to fly to or from Tel Aviv is now up to each airline.
The amount of direct flights leaving the country is getting smaller. James Cleverly, who is the Foreign Secretary, is telling UK citizens in Israel to use regular transportation options to leave, since there are no plans for the UK government to arrange an evacuation.
The Foreign Office is saying it’s not a good idea to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, unless it’s really necessary. They also say it’s not safe to travel to some specific areas in that region.
“There are planes that fly in the sky, and of course, there are borders on land that connect with friendly countries – like Egypt and Jordan,” Mr Cleverly mentioned. “If you want to leave Israel, we are collaborating with the airlines and Israeli air traffic control to make sure the flights continue to operate smoothly. ”
Some airlines now let customers change their travel dates for free.
Mr Cleverly stated that the government’s decision to not help UK citizens leave Israel might change because the situation there is constantly changing.
“I cannot guess or predict what may happen in the future. ”
The British government is warning that Russia might start attacking civilian ships and then blame Ukraine for it.
Last month, people who are in charge of gathering information said that the Russian government’s attempt to attack a cargo ship with a missile in the Black Sea is just the start.
According to the Foreign Office, Russia may continue to use sea mines near ports to attack non-military ships carrying important items like grains.
Referring to disclosed intelligence information, the department stated that Russia probably wants to avoid openly attacking civilian ships in the Black Sea. Instead, they prefer to wrongly accuse Ukraine for any assaults on these vessels.
The UK wants to show Russia’s tactics in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
The Black Sea is surrounded by countries like Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Georgia. In August, Ukraine asked the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) to create a safe path for ships stuck in ports to pass through as a gesture of humanity.
Ukraine’s navy said yesterday that it anticipates twelve cargo ships to come through, which is more than normal.
Vladimir Putin is paying attention to this small area of the sea because he wants to stop Ukraine from selling its grain, according to the Home Office.
The foreign secretary, James Cleverly, said that Russia’s harmful actions of attacking civilian ships in the Black Sea show that Putin does not care about innocent people’s lives or the needs of those who are most at risk in the world.
The whole world is paying attention, and we can easily see that Russia is trying to unfairly accuse Ukraine for their attacks. We and our friends are together against Putin and his efforts to hurt Ukraine, which will also hurt the rest of the world.
The Home Office said that Russia’s strategy in the Black Sea involves a lot of aggression.
And they have their own explanations. Around 22 million tons of grain is trapped inside the country due to a blockade during a war.
Ukraine produces a lot of food, especially grain. To make sure it can sell its crops overseas by ship, an agreement was made.
The agreement, called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, ended in July. It was organized by the United Nations and Turkey.
A short time after, Russia decided not to continue with the deal. This had a big impact on worldwide food prices and put at risk the lives of people who were already hungry, as well as those who were struggling to afford the high cost of living.
British officials think that the Russian president’s request to cancel the agreement caused 300,000 tons of grain to be wasted. This much grain could have fed 1,300,000 individuals.
Since then, the Home Office said, Moscow has been focusing more on attacking Ukrainian ports and civilian buildings, such as 130 harbors in Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Reni.
The department said: ‘We are working with Ukraine and other partners to make shipping safer. We still strongly recommend that British ships in Ukrainian ports and waters should be extra cautious because of the danger from Russia. The UK is using technology to keep an eye on what Russia is doing in the Black Sea. These abilities will allow us to identify and expose any additional Russian attacks on ordinary ships or buildings.
We promise to make sure Ukraine can keep sending its agricultural products out of the country using different ways, such as the “humanitarian corridor”, land routes, and the Danube River.
‘The UK will keep working with Ukraine and many other countries to accomplish this. ‘
The prospect of theUK and Republic of Ireland hosting Euro 2028 appears highly likely following the official withdrawal of the Turkish FA from the bidding process.
Turkey has decided to shift its focus towards co-hosting the tournament with Italy in 2032, and this joint proposal has received UEFA’s approval, as announced in July.
With Turkey no longer competing for the 2028 hosting rights, the UK and Republic of Ireland’s bid is now unopposed.
While Wembley Stadium did host the semi-finals and final of the delayed 2020 European Championship, it’s worth noting that the UK has not hosted an entire major tournament since 1996.
Both bids will require official approval at a meeting of UEFA’s executive committee on Tuesday. An official statement from UEFA read: “The presentations at that meeting will be an important part of the process, which will take due consideration of the content of the bid submissions before reaching a decision.”
Pending approval, Euro 2028 will be jointly hosted by the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The list of proposed stadiums includes well-known venues such as Wembley Stadium and Hampden Park, along with the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Reports said the Kenyan athlete was leading with 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) to go when the dog appeared and followed him. Despite efforts by some spectators to chase the dog away, the encounter was said to have caused Ng’eno to lose concentration and eventually finish in third place.
Kenyans Cornelius Kiplagat and Paul Kipngetich Tanui finished first and second respectively.
The photo of the dog chasing Ng’eno has been widely shared on social media and some people are wondering why nothing was done to protect the athlete. Kenyan Senator Samson Cherargei said on X (formerly Twitter): “This athlete was stripped of his dignity and subjected to unspeakable ridicule.”
He claimed that Kenyan Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba and Kenya Athletics had failed the runner, adding that they “did not find it wise to protest and ask Argentine authorities to investigate.”
In a tragic incident on Wellesley Road in Croydon, a sizable town in South London, a 15-year-old girl lost her life in a daylight stabbing.
The victim, Elianne Andam, whose parents are of Ghanaian descent, has garnered significant international media attention following the incident.
According to reports, the tragic event occurred on the morning of Wednesday, September 27, 2023, as Elianne was en route to school with a friend. They had just disembarked from a bus when her friend was approached by a former romantic partner bearing flowers.
Elianne, a student at the Old Palace of John Whitgift School, valiantly shielded her friend from the assailant, a young man known to both of them, and was fatally stabbed in the neck with a knife measuring approximately one foot in length.
A Metropolitan Police stetment said of the incident: “Elianne Andam was on her way to school when she was attacked in Wellesley Road at approximately 08:30hrs on Wednesday, 27 September.
“Officers were at the scene within two minutes of the call being received. They worked with emergency service colleagues to provide first aid. Despite their efforts, the 15-year-old sadly died at the scene.”
On her Ghanaian parentge, the UK Guardian wrote: Elianne’s father is a writer of Christian teachings, while her mother works as an NHS specialist nurse safeguarding children. Both are of Ghanaian heritage and are active in the Christian community.
Further investigation by GhanaWeb revealed that her mother’s name is Dorcas and her father’s name is Michael.
The UK Mirror stated in their reprt: “Her mum Dorcas broke down in tears as she visited the scene this evening, supported by approximately 30 family members. Elianne’s father Michael was also present.”
Family spokespersonn speaks:
A spokesperson for Elianne’s family said: “Our hearts are broken by the senseless death of our daughter. Elianne was the light of our lives. She was bright and funny, with many friends who all adored her.
“She was only 15 and had her whole life ahead of her, with hopes and dreams for the future.
“All those dreams have now been shattered. Our lives have fallen apart, along with that of our wider family. We ask the media to please respect our privacy as we try to grieve the short life of our beautiful child.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have all lamented the murder.
Police announce arrest:
Within 75 minutes of the incident, a 17-year-old boy was arrested in New Addington on suspicion of murder.
A 12-hour extension to his custody time limit was granted by a senior officer this morning and he remains in custody at a South London police station.
Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Woodsford, who is leading the investigation, said: “My thoughts and the thoughts of my team are with the Elianne’s family. This is a deeply upsetting time for them and we will do everything we can to support them.
“Our investigation continues and we are making good progress. We have recovered CCTV from the area and have spoken to a number of witnesses. Forensic scientists have also examined the scene.
“From these enquiries we are now confident Elianne was attacked outside in Wellesley Road near to the bus stop rather than onboard the bus.
“We know many people were in the area at the time and would have witnessed the attack. This would have been distressing and traumatic and I would encourage anyone who needs support to contact us and we will help to arrange this.
“I know that Elianne’s death has left many people feeling upset and I would like to thank the people of Croydon for the support they have shown us as we have carried out our enquiries in the town centre. I know this work has been disruptive, however, it has been vital and your patience is appreciated.”
According to reports, a post-mortem examination was performed on Thursday, September 28th, in the afternoon.
The suspect was acquainted with the victim. More research is being conducted to determine their exact relationship.
This area, located 80 miles to the west of Shetland, has about 300 million barrels of oil. It is the UK’s biggest oil site that hasn’t been developed yet, and it is twice as big as the disputed Cambo oil field.
The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) announced that the oil and gas regulator has given permission to Equinor and Ithaca Energy, who own the North Sea oil and gas reserves. This permission was granted after reviewing and accepting the Environmental Statement.
They plan to begin making things in the end of 2026. They say this machine can extract 69,000 barrels of oil every day at its highest point. This is about 8% of the total oil production in the UK each day. It can also extract 44 million cubic feet of gas daily.
The UK government believes that having more oil will make the country more secure in terms of energy. However, most of this oil is likely to be sold to Europe and then brought back to the UK as refined products. A spokesperson for NSTA said: ‘We have given approval to the Rosebank Field Development Plan. This means that the owners can now move forward with their project. ‘
‘The FDP is given based on our published guidance and considering the impact on achieving net zero emissions throughout the entire project. ‘
Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho stated that while investments are being made in renewable energy, it is also recognized by the independent Climate Change Committee that oil and gas will still be necessary on the journey to achieving net zero emissions. Therefore, it is logical to utilize our own oil and gas reserves from North Sea fields like Rosebank.
The jobs and lots of money that this brings to our economy will help us become less dependent on other countries for energy. This will make us safer and less vulnerable to leaders like Putin.
‘We will keep supporting the UK’s oil and gas industry to ensure our energy security, boost our economy, and assist in transitioning to more affordable and cleaner energy. ‘
Greta Thunberg and other environmental activists strongly disliked the development. Activists from Fossil Free London, Stop Rosebank, and other groups gathered in Westminster today to protest after the government gave its approval.
Many people gathered outside the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on Whitehall Place. They were shouting slogans, holding signs, and lighting flares.
Philip Evans, a climate campaigner from Greenpeace UK, stated that Rishi Sunak has clearly shown that he prioritizes the profits of oil companies over the well-being of regular people.
Our very expensive bills and the recent very bad weather have made it clear to us.
The unfortunate reality is that Sunak is favoring certain groups, showing how much control the fossil fuel industry has on the government’s choices.
‘Why would he do something so dangerous. ‘
The two companies, Ithaca Energy and Equinor, have decided to invest 3. 8 billion dollars (£3. 1 billion) in the Rosebank oil field.
The police in London have received reports of sexual crimes after an investigation was done by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times. This was stated by the police force on Monday.
We have also been told about several claims of sexual crimes that happened in other parts of the country. We will look into these claims and investigate them. The crimes happened a long time ago, according to the statement.
The brand said that the allegations are not true and also accused the UK government of trying to silence him.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Central Specialist Crime Command, led by Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, will conduct the investigation, as stated by the Metropolitan Police.
“We want anyone who thinks they may have been a victim of a sexual crime, no matter how long ago it happened, to get in touch with us,” the statement stated.
We know that it might seem hard to do, but we have a group of expert officers who can help and guide you.
The person was known for being a funny actor, but lately, they have been using their YouTube channel to spread ideas that are not true, like saying Covid isn’t real.
After the accusations came out, YouTube stopped allowing money to be made from Brand’s channel, and his live tour has been delayed.
The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches did research and found that four women accused Brand of sexually attacking them at different times from 2006 to 2013. One of the girls said she was 16 years old and Brand was 31 years old when the supposed assault took place in London.
The women decided not to reveal their names in the report, as stated by The Times. CNN cannot confirm their statements on their own.
At least two of the reported attacks happened in Los Angeles. According to the report, a woman went to a rape treatment center on the same day she was reportedly assaulted.
The police were informed by the center, but the woman decided not to officially report the incident because she believed that her words wouldn’t hold any value compared to the attacker’s, as noted by the rape center notes shared with The Times.
Downing Street said that the claims made in the documentary are very serious and worrying.
The Metropolitan Police has requested that if anyone thinks they have been a victim of sexual assault, they should come forward and talk to the police. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said this in an official statement after the documentary was shown.
Last week, The Met said they are looking into a claim about a sexual attack from 2003.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said that they know about news reports from The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches about accusations of sexual crimes.
On Sunday, 17 September, the police were told about a sexual assault that was said to have happened in Soho, a neighborhood in the center of London, in 2003. The police are talking to the woman and will help her.
A lock of hair from a deceased Ethiopian prince, who passed away more than 140 years ago, has been presented in the UK to delegates from his native country.
In 1868, Prince Alemayehu was taken by British soldiers following their invasion of his father, Emperor Tewodros II’s fortress, after the emperor’s death by suicide.
The crown prince, who had an unhappy upbringing in Britain, died at the age of 18 in 1879. He was laid to rest at Windsor Castle, near London, and recent appeals to repatriate his remains have been denied.
Fasil Minas, one of the prince’s descendants, expressed optimism that the return of the prince’s hair might open the door for his body to be returned to Ethiopia.
UK rejects calls to return Ethiopian prince’s body
At a London ceremony on Thursday evening, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the UK, Teferi Melesse, officially received the lock of hair along with several other artifacts that had been looted from Emperor Tewodros’s Maqdala fortress.
Ambassador Melesse expressed his appreciation for their return, stating that they would be returned to their rightful place where they can serve as sources of inspiration and education for future generations. He also indicated that Ethiopia would continue to advocate for the return of more items taken from the fortress.
Prince Alemayehu was taken to London at the age of seven, where his orphan status elicited Queen Victoria’s sympathy.
She agreed to provide financial support and placed him under the guardianship of Captain Tristram Charles Sawyer Speedy, the man who had accompanied the prince from Ethiopia.
The Scheherazade Foundation, which facilitated the return of the lock of hair, mentioned that it had originally been in Captain Speedy’s possession. Leonie Turner, a descendant of Speedy, discovered the artifact among her family’s heirlooms and decided to return it.
Alula Pankhurst, a member of Ethiopia’s Heritages Restitution National Committee, welcomed the return of the hair but emphasized that this should be just the beginning.
He stated that the restitution of Ethiopian artifacts looted during the 1868 British expedition to Magdala is crucial for restorative justice and for fostering better relations and collaborations between British and Ethiopian institutions.
Despite calls for the return of the prince’s body, Buckingham Palace rejected the request, citing concerns that exhuming his remains would disturb the remains of others buried in the catacombs of St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
The defendants are accused of being part of a spy group for the Russian security services. They are said to have spied on specific people.
They are accused of doing secret work in the UK and Europe and giving information to Russia.
Mr Roussev, who is 45 years old, is accused of managing operations from the UK and connecting with individuals who received the intelligence.
Police officers searched properties in London and Norfolk that belonged to three people: Mr. Dzhambazov, and Ms. During their search, they discovered supposedly fake passports and official identification documents for various countries, including the UK, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, and the Czech Republic.
Some of the papers had pictures of Mr. Roussev and Mr. Some people believe that Mr. Roussev created fake documents himself.
The group is accused of planning a secret operation in Montenegro. In this operation, they made fake ID cards for journalists, including one that looked like Ms.
Mr Dzhambazov, and Ms. Ivanova have been living in the UK for a long time. They have been working in different types of jobs and living in various suburban houses.
Mr Roussev has done business in Russia in the past. He went to the UK in 2009 and worked for three years in a technical job in the finance industry.
On his LinkedIn page, it says that he eventually owned a company that dealt with signals intelligence. This means they intercepted and analyzed communications or electronic signals.
Mr Roussev, who currently lives in a seaside guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, says that he used to give advice to the Bulgarian ministry of energy.
In Harrow, people who used to live near Mr Dzhambazov and Ms Ivanova said they were a couple.
Mr Dzhambazov is a driver for hospitals and Ms Ivanova works as a laboratory assistant in a private health business, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The couple moved to the UK about 10 years ago. They started an organization that helps Bulgarian people in the UK by teaching them about British culture and how things are done here.
According to Bulgarian government papers on the internet, they also helped with voting for Bulgarians living in London during Bulgarian elections.
The speech talked about the serious problem of climate change and had parts in both French and English.
People were waiting to see if the King would respond to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision about achieving net zero.
However, the speech carefully chosen words to prevent any indirect criticism.
The King said that while the problem our planet is facing is big and serious, it is encouraging to see that our governments, people, and private companies are taking action.
Kings and queens listen to their advisors, so when they give a speech, they are expected to stay neutral on political issues.
However, it was definitely uncomfortable timing to have the prime minister suddenly change his stance on achieving net zero emissions at the same time as a state visit that prioritized environmental protection.
So it is possible that people will be watching closely for any disagreement on climate change between the government and the royal family. In his speech, the King expressed his desire to strengthen and maintain the good relationship between France and Britain. He also wanted this relationship to focus on preserving the environment and supporting lasting development.
The King, who glanced around the fancy meeting room and appeared touched by the long clapping, mentioned how Britain and France came together during war as an inspiration for working together in current battles.
In addition to climate change, he mentioned the conflict in Ukraine as a fight for democracy and freedom because of the unexpected aggression happening on our continent.
The King said in French that we are united and determined for Ukraine to succeed and for our cherished freedoms to win.
The King mentioned that his mother, who has passed away, really loved France. He talked about the strong friendship between France and our country.
The speech was serious and didn’t have many jokes, but people liked it, especially because the King used a lot of French.
Malcolm Massey, a French language expert from the Babbel app, said that the King’s French pronunciation was good and he had a decent accent. In a rainy Paris, he will later go to another famous place called Notre Dame. He will see how they are fixing the cathedral after it was badly damaged in a fire.
There was a meeting with famous sports players like Didier Drogba from Chelsea football team. Queen Camilla started a prize for literature between England and France.
At a gathering in the French national library, she informed the attendees that she had been a student in Paris 60 years ago.
On the last day of the three-day trip, the King and Queen will be going to see environmental projects in Bordeaux.
Ghanaian Nurse based in the United Kingdom (UK), Gordon Kaati, has affirmed the assertion that employment abroad offers significant advantages compared to working in Ghana.
According him, he has worked in the Ghanaian health sector for 4years but has not been able to save as much as he has after working for just 3 months overseas.
He concedes that taxes payed in the western world are somewhat higher, however, there is still a greater chance to save significant amounts of money within the shortest interval.
“Per the system here. You are paid every hour. So obviously it paids more than it pays in Ghana. In most of the countries in Europe, America and other parts of the world, you are paid every hour and you are paid for overtime. In Ghana it doesn’t even matter if you decide to work for extra shifts, You are paid the same salary. But in UK if you decide to work for extra hours you are paid more. Obviously we pay more tax than we pay in Ghana. But I still make more money than in Ghana. I worked in Ghana as a registered nurse for almost 4 years and I can say that I have saved more money in UK within 3 months than I saved for 4 years in Ghana,” Gordon Kaati explained to the media during an interview on September 13, 2023.
He made a further statement that he considers his entire working period in Ghana wasted and nothing to write home about.
“I can say I have made impacts in my life when i moved to UK. Sometimes I feel like I have wasted all my years in Ghana,” the Ghanaian nursed based in the UK stated.
More Ghanaian nurses are in the process of securing visas to practice abroad, a situation most of them say is born out of poor working conditions in the country.
Over the past year, there have been increased cases of Ghanaian-trained nurses and other health professionals travelling outside the country.
A general nurse, who wishes to be known as Alawani, last month secured a job and visa to the United Kingdom. Prior to the new appointment, she had been practicing at a hospital in the Eastern Region for over seven years.
Asked why she chose to leave, she indicated that she has nothing to show for the years she has been working in Ghana as a nurse. She lamented the meagre salary, poor conditions of service, and risks nurses have to endure in Ghana’s health facilities.
I have saved more money in the UK in 3 months than I did after working for 4 years in Ghana – Gordon Kaati, Ghana nurse based in UK
The United Kingdom government has disclosed an upcoming increase in immigration and nationality fees for essential services, which will come into effect on October 4, 2023.
The UK government has outlined that the updated fees will include a rise in the cost of visit visas for durations less than six months, which will now go from £15 to £115. Additionally, the fee for applying for a student visa from outside the UK will experience an increase of £127, resulting in a new fee of £490.
The government has clarified that these fee adjustments align with the charges applied for in-country applications. Furthermore, a bill has already been presented before the UK’s Parliament on September 15, 2023, pending approval.
“In July, the government announced a 15% increase in the cost of most work and visit visas, and an increase of at least 20% in the cost of priority visas, study visas, and certificates of sponsorship,” the UK government said on its official website; gov.uk.
“Income from fees charged plays a vital role in the Home Office’s ability to run a sustainable immigration and nationality system,” it added.
Here is the full list of the current fee and the expected increase from October 4
*Visit visa – short up to 6 months: £100 to £115
*Visiting academic – more than 6 months but no more than 12 months: £200 to £200
*Private medical treatment visa – more than 6 months but not more than 11 months: £200 to £200
*Visit visa – long up to 2 years: £376 to £400
*Visit visa – long up to 5 years: £670 to £771
*Visit visa – long up to 10 years: £837 to £963
*Visitor Extension – main applicant and dependants: £1000 to £1000
