BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.
Asylum seeker who laughed after stabbing hotel worker jailed
An asylum seeker who stabbed a hotel worker to death and was seen laughing and dancing shortly afterwards has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 years.
Deng Chol Majek followed Rhiannon Whyte from the Walsall’s Park Inn Hotel to the deserted Bescot Stadium railway station, where he launched a vicious attack which saw her stabbed 23 times with a screwdriver.
The 27-year-old mother, who leaves behind a five-year-old son, suffered a fatal brain stem injury and died in hospital three days later.
The killer, who is believed to have entered the UK by small boat less than three months before the killing, is known to have given authorities in Germany a date of birth that would mean he is now 28.
Continue reading
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/asylum-seeker-who-laughed-after-stabbing-hotel-worker-jailed/ar-AA1VjTDc?ocid=socialshare
Anything Plus!
An open channel to post anything you want. All opinions welcome. Don't bring other loop drama here. A space for a good time and good memes.
Open Loop 42
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President Trump helps the Venezuelan people to prosper after decades of neglect and poverty.
Venezuela’s acting president has signed into law a bill making significant changes to the country’s oil sector after pressure from the US to open it up to foreign private investment.
The new hydrocarbons law promises to give private companies control over oil production and sales, ease taxes and allow for independent arbitration of disputes, while largely maintaining state control over oil production.
The US will revive Venezuela’s battered oil industry.
“We’re talking about the future. We are talking about the country that we are going to give to our children,” said Delcy Rodríguez, the acting president, who signed the law shortly after its approval by congress.
The congressional leader, Jorge Rodríguez – who is the acting president’s brother – celebrated the law’s approval. “I congratulate the people of Venezuela. Only good things will come after the suffering. These are the good things, for everyone, that we must build together, regardless of how we each conceive the prosperity of our republic,” he said.
The country was once the world’s largest exporter after emerging as a significant oil producer in the 1920s. Production was nationalised in the 1970s with the creation of PDVSA, which came under Hugo Chávez’s socialist control in the 2000s, when Maduro’s mentor and predecessor dismissed most of its leadership and technical staff.
After an initial boom under Chávez, production collapsed after years of mismanagement and corruption. -
Woman, 84, with dementia is mugged yards from her home in east London.
Respect and compassion for the elderly has ceased to exist.
An elderly woman with dementia has been left terrified to leave home after she was muggedjust yards from her front door in east London.
Katherine Stockdale, 84, was targeted on Sturry Street in Poplar on Saturday, January 24, while walking back from the local market with her trolley.
CCTV footage, which has been circulating on social media, appears to show a woman stopping Katherine in the street and asking her something.
As Katherine searches through her bag, the woman appears to snatch it, causing Katherine to fall before the woman runs off with the item.
Met Police has confirmed it is investigating the incident, in which cigarettes and cash were stolen.
continues...
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/woman-84-with-dementia-is-mugged-yards-from-her-home-in-east-london/ar-AA1VfhLe?ocid=socialshare -
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Good news but many illegal dumps still being used.
Arrests made over supersized illegal rubbish dump
Two men have been arrested as part of an investigation into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a field in Oxfordshire.
The Environment Agency (EA) said a 69-year-old man was arrested at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old man has been arrested in Slough in connection with the massive pile of rubbish tipped near Kidlington.
An EA spokeswoman told the BBC the arrests were for environmental and money laundering offences and were a "vital step" in ongoing investigations.
The dump in Kidlington, between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to contain approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.
The mound of rubbish is made up of what appears to be processed domestic waste, shredded plastics, polystyrene, tyres and other household items.
It is just one of 517 illegal dumps across England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. They include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.
Most sites are in countryside locations, often hidden, and on what should be agricultural land.
Police say many are run by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by charging much less than legitimate operators to take and bury waste.
https://bbc.com/news/articles/cy7m3ezr80yo -
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Keir Starmer will sign Britain’s first law-enforcement deal with China on Thursday to target people-smuggling gangs.
In 2025, more than 60 per cent of engines powering the small boats used by smuggling gangs to cross the Channel were made in China.
Under the agreement, UK officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) will work with Chinese authorities to prevent engines getting into the hands of criminals.
The deal also steps up joint efforts to target Chinese gangs manufacturing synthetic opioids for sale on UK streets.
What a joke they are all of Labours plans are a farce.
‘Gimmick after gimmick’
The Conservatives and Reform are calling for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to solve the problem.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: “The fact is that Labour cancelled the Rwanda removals deterrent before it even started. Illegal channel crossings have surged since the election as a result.
“Labour has tried gimmick after gimmick – first claiming to smash the gangs, then a ‘one in, one out’ deal that saw 41,000 arrive and only 281 removed.
“None of this has worked, and neither will this. The Conservative plan is the only one that will work – leave the ECHR enabling every illegal immigrant to be deported within a week of arrival. Then the crossings will soon stop.” -
A heart breaking story.
Major probe into Great Ormond Street over operations on 721 kids by ‘rogue’ surgeon
Youngsters were left with different length legs and life-changing injuries, according to a leaked report on the scandal
Great Ormond Street Hospital said it was “incredibly sorry” after launching an urgent review into the cases of 721 children treated by the same surgeon in London.
Patients suffered life-changing injuries including amputations, permanent deformities and chronic pain, the Sunday Times reports.
Former consultant surgeon Yaser Jabbar, 43, who worked in its orthopaedic department, has been described by colleagues as “cavalier” and “blasé”.
At least 22 children who underwent limb reconstruction surgery are known to have been harmed, according to a leaked report on the scandal by the Royal College of Surgeons.
Thirteen of those cases were classed as severe with one victim aged just four-months-old.
Continue reading...
https://metro.co.uk/2026/01/04/rogue-great-ormond-street-surgeon-harmed-100-children-botched-operations-26051522/?ito=article.desktop.share.top.link -
Trucks full of bodies: Iran may have slaughtered 30,000 protesters in 48-hour intense crackdown
On Sunday, Iran International estimated that at least 36,500 Iranians have been killed by the regime since the beginning of the protests, citing new documentation and eyewitness accounts from medical staff, families of the deceased, and others.
The Daily Mail, citing Iranian-German Professor Amir-Mobarez Parasta, produced a similar estimate, stating that the death toll may be sitting at over 33,000, with 97,645 people wounded.
Both Iranian International and Parasta noted that the regime has reportedly started carrying out executions across the country.
Several of the dead were reportedly shot in the head after being admitted to the hospital for medical treatment, per images released from local morgues and seen by Iran International.
A group of medical personnel confirmed to Iran International that “lethal shots were fired at the injured.”
Help is at hand to stop the slaughter.
President Trump threatened Iran with another attack that would be “far worse” than the three strikes last summer.
"A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary," Trump wrote in a social media post. -
Reform fury as 'Marxist' union baron pledges teachers will fight Reform's rise
Reform UK has condemned the "marxist" head of the National Education Union after he vowed to put schools on the frontline in the fight against the party's rise.
He told The House magazine: "I would like to see all education workers, really, in a trade union, to ensure that we can mount an appropriate defence if needs be." It came after Reform's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, told the party's conference last September that schools are becoming "indoctrination camps" under the leadership of hard-left teachers. While Lee Anderson added that a Reform government would "root out" teachers who are "brainwashing" children.
Responding to the hard-left union baron's latest attack, a Reform UK spokesman hit back: "Mr Kebede is a self-declared Marxist with a history of supporting far left causes.
"A Reform UK government will not tolerate the National Education Union and the other leftwing teaching unions."
Just a few weeks ago, Reform UK had a furious bust up with the NEU after teachers were revealed to be equating their party with the Nazis in political education material.
In November it was revealed that staff at the Orion group of academies in south London had been using pictures of Richard Tice's face to exemplify "extremist" ideology.
Earlier this month Mr Yusuf condemned hard-left teachers for pushing their political biases onto kids, as new stats showed 82% of educators in the NEU support left-wing parties.
In his interview with The House magazine, Mr Kebede revealed that a poll of NEU members showed that teachers are becoming even more left-wing.
Support for Labour has collapsed among staff by 70% since the general election, while a plurality now support the Green Party.
Mr Yusuf said: "What we need to do is make it crystal clear that indoctrination in this manner cannot happen.
"It's not like we're expecting teachers to have no political views. We're talking about indoctrination." -
The dangerous downside of democracy and how it can be used as weapon.
Convicted terrorist who plotted bombing of British consulate to stand in Birmingham council election.
A Muslim activist convicted for his role in an armed terrorist plot is seeking election to Birmingham City Council in May.
Shahid Butt, 60, was jailed for five years in 1999 after being found guilty of planned attacks on the British consulate, an Anglican church and a Swiss-owned hotel in Yemen.
Prosecutors said the cell had been dispatched by Abu Hamza, the notorious hate preacher whose son was among those convicted.
Now, Butt is standing in the Sparkhill ward for the Independent Candidates Alliance, an activist-led grouping expected to field around 20 candidates across Birmingham on May 7.
Sparkhill has a large Pakistani-heritage population, accounting for almost two-thirds of local residents.
The Alliance was founded by campaigners Akhmed Yakoob and Shakeel Afsar and is targeting seats Labour fears could be vulnerable amid anger among Muslim voters over the party’s stance on Israel.
Expand article logo Continue reading
Butt’s candidacy has prompted immediate backlash online, with critics accusing him of promoting violence and pushing an Islamist agenda.
He has previously urged young Muslims to “work out at the gym and learn to fight” in preparation for potential attacks.
Footage from protests at the fixture shows him telling crowds: “Muslims are not pacifists… if somebody comes into your face, you knock his teeth out. That’s my message to the youth.” -
Labour's gravy train, yum yum.
Labour’s rail nationalisation tsar to get £300,000 for working two days a week
Making the position one of Britain’s highest-paid public sector roles.
While GBR will have its head office in Derby, there is no requirement for the successful applicant to be based there, and the advert states that they will be able to claim back “reasonable travel and subsistence costs”. It does not reveal if the appointee will be able to work from home. -
Police Federation boss wrongly sacked after speaking to Telegraph, court finds
We can't even speak out the truth anymore without being smeared racist.
The former head of the Metropolitan Police Federation, who was sacked after giving an interview to The Telegraph, was unlawfully treated, the High Court has ruled.
Rick Prior was suspended in October 2024 after warning that his members were increasingly nervous about challenging people from some ethnic minorities for fear of being labelled racist.
He was then sacked for comments he made in The Telegraph in which he complained about his treatment.
The High Court has now ruled that the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) – the statutory association for police staff – acted unfairly in its treatment of both officers.
The court found that both suspensions were unlawful and a breach of their Article 10 right to freedom of expression.
The judge stressed that as an elected representative, Mr Prior had the right to comment on matters of public interest such as race relations, policing standards and officer confidence.
Mr Prior was suspended after he gave a television interview warning that his members were increasingly worried about using force for fear of becoming the subject of a vexatious racism complaint.
His comments followed a number of high-profile incidents, including a constable being convicted of assault after challenging a woman who refused to show a valid bus ticket.
Mr Prior, who was elected to represent 30,000 officers across London, said that such incidents were eroding his members’ confidence.
He explained: “There seems to be an assumption of racism right from the off, particularly when it’s a white officer and a member of the public from a minority ethnic community.
“And it almost seems as if the onus is then on the police officer to prove that the interaction wasn’t racist.”
The following day, the PFEW suspended him from his role and barred him from standing in the upcoming election, claiming that the comments were “discriminatory in nature”.
Meanwhile, Mr Cooke was similarly suspended by the PFEW
The court found that the suspensions and restrictions on their ability to stand for office were unjustified, disproportionate and a breach of their freedom of expression human rights.
“It confirms that suspension must never be used casually or as a tool of ideological conformity, particularly where speech on matters of public interest is concerned.
“The ruling strengthens protections for all workers, representatives and office holders who face disciplinary action for expressing lawful views – and sends a clear message that casual bias and echo-chamber thinking come at a legal cost.” -
Top Al-Qaeda chief could be released onto Britain's streets in weeks after being granted new hearing
Rangzieb Ahmed, the most senior Al-Qaeda figure ever convicted in Britain, is due to appear before a parole panel on February 13 as he makes another bid for release.
The 48-year-old, once described as "Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man".
A jury at Manchester Crown Court found he had led a three-man cell preparing acts of mass murder against the British public.
The conviction centred on Ahmed’s role in orchestrating a terror network with links to the highest levels of international jihadism.
Investigators established connections between the former taxi driver and the perpetrators of the 7 July 2005 London bombings, as well as the failed attacks two weeks later.
A risk assessment submitted to the panel said Ahmed remained “susceptible to indoctrination” and presented a genuine danger of reoffending.
It noted the sentencing judge had found him “dedicated to the cause of Islamic terrorism”, believing it to be his religious duty. -
Did anyone see BBC Breakfast this morning reporting that Rishi Sunak and his wife have donated £500K to a charity that promotes numeracy.
In the discussion it was revealed that 58% of our children leave school without a pass at O Level in mathematics. Since every second of our lives depends on numbers, even when we are asleep, this is an amazing statistic, but it explains at long last something that has puzzled me for years and that is the way the electorate vote the way they do, clearly over half of the electorate can't question or analyse and understand what they are voting for.
While numbers may not always tell you what is the right choice they will always tell you which is the wrong one thereby narrowing the options and giving one a better chance of being right. -
Fresh alert issued in Channel migrant crisis - 'open season for illegal immigrants'
Plans to intercept Channel migrant boats have been thrown into chaos after the French Government was told to rewrite the rules given to officers.
The human rights watchdog in Paris, the Defender of Rights Claire Hedon, told gendarmes to stop using rubber bullets and tear gas to prevent asylum seekers from climbing into dinghies bound for Britain.
And Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has been "invited" to overhaul the rules and training given to officers on the Channel coastline. This will undermine plans to intercept migrant dinghies at sea, as the organisation is highly influential.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told the Express: "This shows even more weakness from the French Government. Most illegal immigrants already get through, and if these proposals are implemented, it will be open season for illegal immigrants and the people smugglers they pay.
"Floods of illegal immigrants - mainly young men - will cross the channel. The only way to stop these crossings is to exit the ECHR, which will enable every illegal immigrant to be deported within a week of arrival. Then they will soon stop trying." -
Shouting racism only when it suits them.
A guide to Labour Party anti-Semitism.
A report by the UK's human rights watchdog found Labour to be responsible for "unlawful" acts of harassment and discrimination.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) investigation identified serious failings in leadership and an inadequate process of handling anti-Semitism complaints.
Its report said the party was responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act: political interference in anti-Semitism complaints, failure to provide adequate training to those handling anti-Semitism complaints and harassment.
In a statement, it said: "The equality body's analysis points to a culture within the party which, at best, did not do enough to prevent anti-Semitism and, at worst, could be seen to accept it."
And they unjustly complain about Reform the hypocrites. -
Opinion by Rakib Ehsan
A British-Bangladeshi academic and writer who holds a Sunni Muslim faith.
Suella Braverman's defection matters in a country gripped by immigration and Islamism.
Braverman, a woman of Indian origin whose father and mother immigrated to Britain in the 1960s from Kenya and Mauritius, respectively, has the potential to be a powerful voice for her new party on the failures of state-sponsored multiculturalism and dysfunctional migration policies in the UK.
As Conservative home secretary, Braverman delivered a hard-hitting speech in Washington D.C., where she declared that multiculturalism had failed.
It was greeted by much liberal-Left hysteria and outrage. But who could blame her for reaching this conclusion? There is a string of post-industrial northern English towns which continue to be plagued by such intense forms of ethnic and religious segregation; it makes my hometown of Luton look like a paragon of social cohesion.
In some of these areas, industrial-scale grooming-gang activity has unfolded – perpetrators disproportionately belonging to Pakistani-heritage biraderi-style ‘clans’ defined by family solidarity, multi-generational cohesion, and tight-knit community ties: the dark underbelly of modern multicultural Britain.
The 2022 Leicester riots, which saw subcontinental-style communalism spill over onto the streets of an English regional city – primarily between Hindu and Muslim male youths from ‘new and emerging’ communities.
In our capital city of London, there have been political clashes within the UK’s Bangladeshi-origin and Eritrean-heritage communities.
Moreover, American-style racial identity politics spread like wildfire through many of our public institutions during the era of BLM-mania.
Braverman, like many politicians, has her flaws. At times, she does become excitable and overreaches. But what she does understand is the mainstream public desire for stronger quality and quantity control when it comes to immigration; the need to get to grips with the threat of Islamist extremism, which remains the country’s principal terror threat, as demonstrated by the deadly anti-Jewish terrorist attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester.
And crucially, she appreciates the ethnic element of English identity, which is all too often downplayed - if not completely ignored - in a fast-paced era of astonishing demographic change in England.
Braverman may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but she has bolstered Reform UK’s image of being a national-conservative party which is open to all those who have hard-headed views on admittedly sensitive matters of immigration, integration, and identity in modern Britain. -
Rwanda is suing Britain for £50 million after Labour scrapped the deportation deal between the two countries.
(More incompetence)
The claim alleges that Rwanda was prepared to forego the payment but Labour failed to terminate the agreement with the country after cancelling any deportations. Rwanda says it is now owed the money and is seeking to be compensated.
The move revives the controversy over Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to scrap the Tory government’s asylum deal as one of his first acts in office.
Labour’s decision to ditch the Rwanda scheme removed a potential deterrent.
Last year saw the second highest number of annual crossings with a total of 41,472 migrants arriving in the UK in 2025 after crossing the English Channel.
The yearly total was 13 per cent higher than the figure for 2024, when 36,816 migrants made the journey, and 41 per cent higher than 2023’s total of 29,437.
The Rwandans invoiced the UK Government for the £50 million that they originally agreed to forego when Labour announced it was scrapping the scheme within days of winning the election.
The Rwandan government said the UK failed to formally terminate the agreement despite scrapping the scheme – allowing the Rwandans to claim the payment.
“This is yet another catastrophic consequence of Labour’s decision to scrap the Rwanda scheme.
“The deal was ready to see the first flights take off, and ditching it was a borderline act of treachery.
“This legal action means the British taxpayer is now facing a huge bill for Labour’s incompetence.
“Britain should be sending illegal Channel migrants to Rwanda, not putting them up in hotels or ex-military sites like Crowborough, which opened last week to the great anxiety of local residents.
“Labour was too weak to see this crucial policy through, and it’s the British taxpayer who is left to pick up the pieces.” -
Terror police reveal they stopped 19 'late-stage' UK attack plots in the past five years
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor described the interventions as 'goal-line saves' and said 1,000 dangerous extremists are currently being monitored.
(I wonder how much that is costing? It only takes one to fall through the net).
He warned terror group ISIS has regrouped in the last six years since its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a military operation in 2019.
Talking to The Crime Agents podcast, Mr Taylor said counter-terror police are currently juggling 800 cases.
'The threat that we saw 20 years ago has never gone away. It kind of ebbs and flows. In terms of capabilities overseas, the influence to get things done abroad, we've definitely seen an uptick in some of that,' he said.
'There's no question that their (ISIS) ambition has always been to attack the West. We know that their ambitions have grown and we are seeing people who are still intent on doing that sort of activity. It just has never gone away.
The Manchester Synagogue attack in October was carried out by ISIS-supporter Jihad Al Shamie.
The 35-year-old deliberately crashed his car outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue and began knifing worshippers.
He said the Government's deradicalisation programme, Prevent, is expected to have 10,000 referrals this year, but Mr Taylor doesn't believe it 'has got the capacity to deal with the volume of things that are going through it now'.
Last May, Police and MI5 foiled a suspected plot by Iranian terrorists to carry out a major attack in Britain.
Counter-terror officers and Special Forces raided two suspected Iranian cells in a 'highly significant' operation to tackle growing activity by the hostile state in the UK.
The alleged plot to target a UK premises was a 'major attack' that could have led to an imminent threat to life. -
Starmer acting like a dictator clinging on to power.
Labour civil war erupts as Starmer allies block Andy Burnham comeback
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell says decision 'will simply hasten your demise' in scathing attack on Starmer
John McDonnell has warned that blocking Andy Burnham from standing for Parliament will cause "immense damage" to the Prime Minister and Labour Party.
"Do not underestimate the depth of anger people will feel about this disgusting decision. If you think it strengthens you I tell you it will simply hasten your demise. You could have shown magnanimous leadership but instead it's cowardice."
He blamed the blocking of Mr Burnham and other Labour troubles since coming to power on the a small group of relatively inexperienced advisers surrounding Keir and Rachel Reeves".
He added: "These incompetent, self interested control freaks risk bringing down the party I've been a member of for 50 years."
A Labour backbencher told the Press Association the decision was “a total shi*show” and “utter nonsense”, predicting the party would now lose the Gorton and Denton by-election. -
Left wing activists against law and order.
Left wing activists supporting criminals and obstructing law enforcement officers.
Anarchist Traitors to their country?
Why was ICE created?
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, began operating in 2003 after a major government effort to boost national security in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. ICE is part of the Department of Homeland Security, which began operations the same year. Previously, immigration enforcement in the US was largely handled by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), which was part of the Department of Justice.
Karoline Leavitt said The criminal drug dealers, the rapists, the murderers, the individuals who have committed heinous acts on the interior of our country and who have terrorized law-abiding American citizens, absolutely, those should be the priority of ICE,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean that the other illegal criminals who entered our nation’s borders are off the table.” -
Britain 'discreetly bringing back Islamic State brides' from Syria
Britain has quietly brought back several women linked to Islamic State, along with their children, from detention camps in Syria, according to a senior official.
The so-called Isis brides had been held in facilities run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the same camps where Shamima Begum remains detained.
A report published in November by the Independent Commission on Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice said that three adult women and 18 children had been repatriated - but only two of those cases were publicly acknowledged.
All beeing welcomed back and supported by the taxpayer. -
And rightly so....
Nigel Farage today distanced himself from his ally Donald Trump after the president lambasted Britain and other Nato allies over their role in the war in Afghanistan.
The Reform leader used an appearance in Davos to say that Trump was wrong, on the UK and other nations like Denmark whose soldiers gave their lives in the two-decade conflict.
Some 457 British service personnel were killed in the conflict in Afghanistan, fighting alongside the US, and countless more were severely wounded, a point Mr Farage made.
In a tweet he said: 'Donald Trump is wrong. For 20 years our armed forces fought bravely alongside America's in Afghanistan.'
'We stayed by America for the whole 20 years, we proportionately spent the same money as America, we lost the same number of lives as America, pro-rata, and the same applies to Denmark and other countries too. -
President Trump is right to insist that Hamas gives up all its arms.
Hamas taxing Gaza street vendors to fund 'forever war'
Announced in January, the tax on market traders is part of a wave of new levies and outright extortion by which the terror group is rapidly replenishing its coffers.
Double taxes on imported goods, now flowing in under the ceasefire agreement, and a huge cut of the money-changing and tobacco trades are just some of the measures reported by ordinary Gazans.
There seems to be only one solution to destroy Hamas completely.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/hamas-taxing-gaza-street-vendors-to-fund-forever-war/ar-AA1UVvlb?ocid=socialshare -
Sir Keir Starmer has been forced to pull his Chagos Islands bill in the wake of a US backlash over the deal.
The legislation was expected to be debated in the House of Lords on Monday, but was delayed on Friday night after the Conservatives warned it could violate a 60-year-old treaty with the US that enshrines British sovereignty over the archipelago.
Donald Trump turned against the Chagos deal earlier this week, saying that Britain’s plan to hand the Indian Ocean territory to Mauritius was “an act of great stupidity”.
Under the terms of Sir Keir’s deal, the UK would hand over the archipelago to Mauritius and lease back the Diego Garcia military base, a facility built there in the 1970s that has been used by UK and US forces.
The Tories had warned this agreement would break a 1966 treaty between the UK and the US, that asserts Britain’s sovereignty over the islands and is meant to ensure they remain available to both sides for defence purposes.
Foreign Office insiders were scrambling to understand the significance of the treaty on Friday night.
If Downing Street tried to press ahead without Washington’s approval, it could face a bruising battle with the US state department.
On Friday morning the Conservatives tabled a motion in the House of Lords calling for the new Chagos deal’s ratification to be delayed to allow talks on the 1966 treaty to conclude, with the aim of avoiding a breach of international law.
Throughout the Chagos debates, Keir Starmer has tried to hide behind the cover of international law, now the Conservatives are exposing that his shameful surrender may be illegal.”
Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “He is happy to hand over British sovereign territory and £35bn of taxpayers’ money to an ally of China – even if it conflicts with international law.
“As a lawyer he should know better. But his desire to appease Beijing clouds his judgment, as we saw with his decision to approve the Chinese spy hub super embassy this week.” -
WHO, Not fit for purpose
The withdrawal process began when President Trump signed Executive Order 14155 on January 20, 2025, which initiated the formal exit from the WHO. This decision was driven by criticisms of the WHO's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly its perceived delays in declaring a global health emergency and its handling of information related to the virus's origins.
Reasons for Withdrawal: The U.S. government criticized the WHO for its lack of accountability, transparency, and independence from political influences. WHO's actions during the pandemic, including its praise of China's response, undermined global health efforts and delayed critical responses to the outbreak.
The United States noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020 due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states. In addition, the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO.
Time for change. -
Migrant search team deployed in crackdown on 53,000 foreigners hiding in the UK
A team of 65 Immigration Enforcement officers has been tasked with tracking down more than 53,000 illegal migrants and foreign criminals who have vanished across Britain. Home Office chiefs confirmed a dedicated unit is pursuing absconders who have breached immigration bail, overstayed visas or escaped detention, as well as foreign offenders who should have been deported.
The UK ICE Force. 👏👏👏
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/migrant-search-team-deployed-in-crackdown-on-53-000-foreigners-hiding-in-the-uk/ar-AA1UI7Pc?ocid=socialshare -
This is happening far too often.
Is it time to rethink care in the community?
Husband of grandmother stabbed to death by mentally ill man criticises NHS
Jala Debella, 24, attacked medical secretary Anita Mukhey, 66, in front of shocked passers-by in north London at about 11.50am on May 9 2024.
He stabbed her 18 times before he 'casually' walked away while people rushed to help the victim.
Ms Mukhey's husband Hari criticised the NHS handling of Debella, who was not considered to pose a risk to the community.
'The man was known to mental health services. He was assessed by psychiatrists and was deemed stable to be managed in the community.
'It leaves me wondering how risk is truly assessed.
'Words spoken in an assessment room did not reflect the reality of his true intentions.'
During a trial of issue, held after the defendant was deemed too unwell to stand trial for murder, the court heard Debella was obsessed with gory online videos and had been able to buy a hunting knife over the internet, despite living in a residential home supporting people with mental health problems.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/husband-of-grandmother-stabbed-to-death-by-mentally-ill-man-criticises-nhs/ar-AA1UOjqV?ocid=socialshare -
Why Greenland is strategically important and why Donald Trump wants to control it.
Greenland's strategic importance is rooted in its geographical location and the geopolitical dynamics of the Arctic region. Here are the key reasons why Greenland is considered strategically significant:
Geographical Position: Greenland is situated between North America and Europe, making it a crucial point for military security and navigation across the northern Atlantic.
Military Security: The island's location provides early warning against missile threats and is vital for monitoring naval activities in the North Atlantic and Arctic.
Resource Access: Greenland's strategic position allows for access to northern shipping routes, which are becoming more viable due to climate change and melting sea ice.
Greenland's strategic significance is further highlighted by its role in the Arctic security debate, where it is at the heart of discussions over global trade and security.
“It’s so strategic,” Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One on Sunday. “Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security.” -
Trump's plan is coming together with eclectic members.
Who is part of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza?
The lineup of Executive Board members is:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff
Jared Kushner
Marc Rowan
Ajay Banga
Tony Blair
Robert Gabriel Jr
Trump has invited the leaders of Egypt, Turkiye and Jordan to join his “Board of Peace” to oversee the post-war transition in Gaza, according to authorities in Ankara, Cairo and Amman.
Trump has also invited a number of world leaders, including Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, to be part of a Board of Peace.
“Gaza Executive Board,” tasked with regional coordination.
Steve Witkoff
Jared Kushner
Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi
Egyptian General Intelligence Director General Hassan Rashad
Tony Blair
Marc Rowan
UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al-Hashimy
Nickolay Mladenov
Yakir Gabay
Sigrid Kaag, a Dutch politician and United Nations coordinator in Gaza
The Executive Board, which has representation from Arab countries, has been tasked with helping to “support effective governance” in Gaza.
The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza
In an interview with Egyptian Media, Committee Chairman Ali Shaath confirmed the official lineup. The 12-member team is comprised entirely of professionals tasked with managing specific service sectors:
Economy & Trade: Engineer Aed Abu Ramadan
Agriculture: Abdel Karim Ashour
Health: Dr Aed Yaghi
Housing & Lands: Engineer Osama al-Saadawi
Justice: Adnan Abu Warda
Interior & Internal Security: Major General Sami Nasman
Municipalities & Water: Ali Barhoum
Finance: Bashir Al-Rayyes
Social Affairs: Hana Tarazi
Education: Jabr Al-Daour
Telecommunications: Engineer Omar Al-Shamali
“The Board will help support effective governance and the delivery of best-in-class services that advance peace, stability, and prosperity for the people of Gaza,” -
Grandmother, 83, is threatened with criminal conviction for 'fly-tipping' a single cardboard box.
A grandmother has been threatened with a criminal conviction if she does not pay a £600 fine for allegedly fly-tipping a single cardboard box.
Caroline Wright, 83, from Reading, 'doesn't want to go on' after simply trying to recycle her rubbish, according to her daughter.
The grandmother-of-four said she took some rubbish to her local recycling drop-off outside Milestone Centre, and believed she had disposed of it all properly.
But days later, she received a letter from an environmental enforcement contractor on behalf of Reading Council, which said Ms Wright could be hit with a criminal conviction for fly-tipping.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/grandmother-83-is-threatened-with-criminal-conviction-for-fly-tipping-a-single-cardboard-box/ar-AA1UISPj?ocid=socialshare -
Doesn't this government understand it's not just moving them out of the hotels it's stopping the onslaught in the first place.
First migrants moved into East Sussex military camp despite protests
Residents said they felt ‘ignored and uninformed’ by the Home Office as more than two dozen men were moved into Crowborough Training Camp
Latest Home Office figures show the number of asylum seekers being temporarily housed in hotels increased by 13 per cent to 36,273 at the end of September.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Illegal migration has been placing immense pressure on communities. -
Rachel Reeves dealt major 'vote of no confidence' as fund pulls £2billion of UK investment
Vanguard has announced plans to cut almost £2billion worth of British equities from its popular LifeStrategy funds, reducing UK exposure
The investment giant, which oversees around £9trillion in assets globally, said it will lower the allocation to UK shares in its LifeStrategy
Just days ago, the Chancellor proclaimed the dawn of "a new golden age for the City" whilst seeking to attract foreign investment to these shores.
Henry Norton, senior investment manager at Arbuthnot Latham, described the decision as "a blow to the Government at a time when they are trying to convince investors of the benefits of increasing their exposure to the UK".
Sir Mel Stride offered a withering assessment of the development, declaring it "a clear vote of no confidence in Labour's economic approach".
Chancellor had failed to persuade investors Britain offered genuine growth prospects following what he termed her "benefits Budget." Urged the Government to curtail public expenditure and reduce taxation to restore investor confidence in the UK.
"Thanks to this high-tax, high-spend, high-regulation Government, it's no wonder investors are running scared," he remarked. -
Starmer’s security chief wants Hamas to keep some of its guns.
Sir Keir Starmer’s lead security aide has been lobbying for Hamas to keep some of its guns as part of the Gaza peace process.
Jonathan Powell, the Prime Minister’s national security adviser, believes the terror group should be permitted to retain AK-47s and other personal weapons, in order to break the deadlock in stalled talks on phase two of the ceasefire.
“He’s been hammering the phone with the Americans, trying to push what’s seen on this side as a realistic way forward, as against the Israeli approach,” a source close to the negotiations said.
Hamas has refused Donald Trump’s demands to hand over its weapons and control of Gaza, and allow for a new transitional government and rebuilding programme.
The position appears to be at odds with both Israel and Mr Trump, who on Wednesday warned Hamas it would be “blown away” if it did not disarm.
On Thursday in Davos, the US president unveiled his master plan for “new Gaza” alongside 19 national leaders who have signed up to his “Board of Peace” for the region.
“This option isn’t even an option. The 20-point plan says ‘demilitarisation’, not ‘please, hold on to your guns if you want’. It’s a complete non-starter. -
Fraud squad urged to investigate ‘catastrophic’ £4.6bn net zero scheme
Britain’s fraud squad has been urged to investigate the Government’s “catastrophic” £4.6bn energy efficiency scheme over fears some households will be left with huge repair bills.
In a scathing report published on Friday, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the home retrofit scheme that left more than 30,000 properties with defects had “failed at every level”.
It warned over possible fraud in the scheme – which the committee chairman branded the “most catastrophic fiasco that I have seen” – and urged ministers to refer it to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
The committee took aim at Ed Miliband’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), saying senior officials took two years to recognise the scale of the problem.
The public spending watchdog found last year that nearly all external wall insulation installed up to mid-January 2025 – about 98pc – had major defects that required fixing, with some posing immediate health and safety risks.
Between 32,000 and 35,000 homes overall are likely to have been affected during this period, while it is unknown how many more faulty installations have been carried out since. -
An Imam who admitted to the 'forced marriage' of two underage children has avoided jail...and instead been given a suspended prison sentence.
Ashraf Osmani, 52, said he was 'unaware' of a change to the law when he conducted a 'Nikah ceremony' for two 16-year-olds at Northampton's Central Mosque.
Imam named Ashraf Osmani was spared from jail for conducting a forced marriage of two underage children. Osmani, who was 52 years old, admitted to the marriage and claimed he was unaware of a change in the law when he performed the Nikah ceremony for the two 16-year-olds at Northampton's Central Mosque. The court described his approach as 'negligent' and sentenced him to 15 weeks in custody, which is suspended for a year. Osmani was found to be entirely in charge of the marriage process at the mosque, and the judge emphasized that ignorance of the law is no defense.
Child marriages happening behind closed doors. -
How is starmer's one in one out policy going.
A migrant has turned up in the UK once again despite deportation. Edwin Taha appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, January 20, accused of knowingly entering the UK in breach of a deportation order.
The 25-year-old, of no fixed abode and who previously lived in Teesside, was remanded in custody.
He will next appear at Newcastle Crown Court on February 18.
According to Teesside Live, Taha faces one count of knowingly entering the UK in breach of a deportation order.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "On Sunday (January 18) we arrested a man in the Gateshead area on suspicion of immigration offences."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/migrant-turns-up-in-uk-again-despite-deportation/ar-AA1UJii1?ocid=socialshare -
No need to work the state will keep you.
Experts have told Rachel Reeves that the future looks "bleak" after figures suggested the number of people claiming "no need to work benefits" from the DWP has risen by 1.5million since Labour came to power. Data revealed that 4.2million people are on Universal Credit with "no work requirements" after an increase in claims from individuals citing their mental health. Elliot Keck, campaigns director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, told The Express: "The future of Britain is bleak if politicians don't urgently get a grip on the tragedy that is Britain's escalating welfare bill.
"Millions are left out of work languishing on benefits, many of them with only minor, treatable conditions. Some of course are simply abusing the system, and squeezing taxpayers to fund their life of leisure.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/rachel-reeves-told-the-future-is-bleak-as-1-5m-more-given-no-work-benefits/ar-AA1UFQtb?ocid=socialshare -
Hold tight it could get a lot worse.
The far-left Corbynite ready to turn the biggest union against Starmer.
Andrea Egan was elected as the general secretary of Unison in December
She formally takes office today (Thursday, Jan 22), having vowed to hold Labour’s “feet to the fire” over public sector pay
Keir Starmer, now faces a member of the far-Left taking control of Labour’s largest affiliated union. Not only is Unison a major donor, giving nearly £1.5m to Labour’s 2024 election campaign, its members are also the foot soldiers of the country’s public services, working as bus drivers, porters, cleaners, care workers and town hall admin staff. If Egan delivers on her pledge to flex her members’ “formidable” muscles, Britain could grind to a halt.
While recent years have already seen a return to 1970s-style industrial unrest, Egan says that her predecessor McAnea was nothing like hardline enough in sticking up for the working class. She will, she says, “stand up to any employer, politician or cabinet minister who acts against our interests”.
Unison is one of 11 unions affiliated to Labour, representing four million workers in all. Egan wants to review Unison’s relationship with the party, for example opposing funding for Labour MPs who fail to stand against welfare cuts. In an article written for the Guardian after her election, she put employers “on notice” that Unison would not be a pushover, singling out the Department of Health and Social Care, where Health Secretary Wes Streeting plans job cuts, and Reform-run local councils. Any Reform-run town hall can perhaps expect trouble if they shut down gender-neutral toilets or stop the flying of the Palestinian flag. On the Gaza question, Egan also wants to create a pensions divestment task force to stop town hall pension schemes investing in firms that supply arms to Israel. -
Another blow to our economy
Rachel Reeves has hit hiring in Britain and is driving jobs overseas, the boss of Currys is warning as unemployment in London spirals.
Alex Baldock, chief executive of the technology giant, told how the Chancellor had undermined the retail sector, with hospitality in the capital also left reeling from tax rises and higher wage bills.
He also warned of further pressure on jobs from the Employment Rights Act.
“If you make it harder, riskier and more expensive to employ people then fewer people will be employed,” he told Times Radio.
He stressed that the “overburdened” retail sector, which employs six million people, had been impacted by £7 billion of costs from Ms Reeves’ first Budget, which saw hikes in National Insurance contributions for employers, as well as increases in the National Living Wage.
“Those costs have got nowhere to go but lower pay, lower hiring, lower promotions, higher prices, lower investment and ultimately less growth,” Mr Baldock explained.
“It has depressed hiring right the way across the retail sector.”
Official figures show London is shedding jobs faster than any other region after the blows to the retail and hospitality sectors.
The hiring slump means the jobless tally in London has almost doubled in less than two years since it hit a trough of 3.8% in the three months to January 2024.
A continuous downward spiral from this Labour government -
Ode to the Loudest Nobody
@Georgy climbs the soapbox daily,
Dragging yesterday’s headlines behind him,
Breathless with urgency—
BREAKING NEWS, he cries,
As if the sun rising were a scoop.
On Scooploop he reigns,
King of the Comment Section,
Crowned with recycled outrage
And a keyboard slick with spite.
He posts what everyone knows,
Then bows, expecting applause.
But worse than the pointless parroting,
Worse than the news reheated to ash,
Is the bile he salts it with—
Cheap, tired racism,
The kind that mistakes volume for truth
And ignorance for bravery.
He calls it “saying what others won’t,”
As if decency were censorship
And basic humanity a conspiracy.
No insight, no courage—
Just the same dull prejudice
In a thousand identical posts.
@Georgy, the echo loves you,
Because you sound just like it.
Empty noise, endlessly repeated,
Shouting at a world
That moved on
And forgot to listen. -
Risking our country's security because of Labour's economic mishandlings.
Britain's intelligence chiefs were denied the chance to raise concerns about China's plans to establish a giant embassy across the road from the Tower or London, opponents of the massive development claim. Sir James Cleverly, a former Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary, accused Labour of having "silenced" security experts and said Sir Keir Starmer was "kowtowing to China" in the hope of winning investment.
Sir James, who is now Shadow Communities Secretary, hit out at the Government, saying: "Labour are forcing through the plan for a Chinese super-embassy in the heart of London despite obvious national security concerns. Ministers refused to allow our security services to submit evidence in a private hearing, and now won't say why.
Turning his guns on the prime minister, he said: "Keir Starmer lacks the backbone to stand up to Beijing. He is kowtowing to China in the vain hope he will be rewarded with some investment in the failing economy he presides over."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/fury-as-labour-forcing-through-china-mega-embassy-in-london-despite-growing-fears/ar-AA1Upr1y?ocid=socialshare
