Source: Sky News – Page 2 – Eye on Islamism

Man pleads guilty to terrorism offences ahead of trial for allegedly planning attack on St James’s hospital in Leeds Mohammad Farooq, 27, is accused of taking a pressure cooker bomb to St James's Hospital in Leeds after a failed attempt to launch a terrorist attack on RAF Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire, motivated by an interest in radical Islam.

October 16, 2023 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) A clinical support worker has pleaded guilty to terrorism offences ahead of his trial for allegedly planning an attack on a maternity hospital in Leeds and an RAF station in North Yorkshire. Mohammad Farooq, 27, from Roundhay in Leeds, is […]

Israel-Hamas war: Police seek two women who wore images of paragliders at London protest The images may be a reference to Hamas storming into Israel on motorised paragliders during a surprise attack last weekend that included the murder of 260 people at a music festival.

October 15, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Sky News) Two women who wore images of paragliders on their backs during yesterday’s protest for Palestinians are now being sought by London police. The women, who wore red and black jackets, are being asked to come forward as part of an […]

Several UK Jewish schools close ‘in interests of the safety of our precious children’ It comes as Jewish students were being warned by schools to disguise their uniform because of a fear of retaliatory attacks caused by the ongoing war in Israel.

October 12, 2023 Megan Harwood-Baynes, Becky Johnson and Nick Stylianou

(Sky News) Four Jewish schools in north London are closing their doors “in the interests of the safety of our precious children.” Torah Vodaas Primary School in Edgware, Ateres Beis Yaakov Primary School in Colindale, and Menorah High School in Neasden informed […]

Man arrested for bringing Israeli flag to Sydney pro-Palestinian protest says ‘police should feel ashamed of themselves’ A Sydney man has slammed police for arresting him after he brought an Israeli flag to a pro-Palestinian rally on Monday night, claiming the actions of the officers were 'excessive.'

October 10, 2023 Stacey Eldridge

(Sky News) A Sydney man arrested for turning up to a pro-Palestinian rally with an Israeli flag has told Sky News Australia that police “should feel ashamed of themselves.” Mark Spiro said he was hauled away by three police officers after being […]

Mohamad al Bared guilty of terror offence after designing ‘kamikaze’ drone for ISIS The PhD engineering student was inspired by Russian attacks in Ukraine.

September 28, 2023 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) An academic inspired by Russian attacks in Ukraine to design and build a “kamikaze” drone for ISIS has been found guilty of a terror offence. Mohamad al Bared, 26, a PhD engineering student from Coventry, adapted a fixed-wing drone to […]

Prisoner Daniel Khalife pleads not guilty to escaping from Wandsworth prison The former soldier, 21, was allegedly arrested four days later after an extensive manhunt.

September 21, 2023 Henry Vaughan

(Sky News) Terror suspect Daniel Khalife has denied escaping from Wandsworth prison. The former soldier, 21, is accused of breaking out of the Category B jail on the morning of 6 September. He is said to have been working in the prison […]

Daniel Khalife escaped prison using material which may have been from bed sheets, court hears The former soldier was arrested on Saturday after an alleged 75 hours on the run.

September 11, 2023 Henry Vaughan

(Sky News) Daniel Khalife has appeared in court accused of using bedsheets to strap himself under a food truck to escape from Wandsworth prison. The 21-year-old terror suspect allegedly broke out on Wednesday before being arrested in a London suburb on Saturday […]

Suella Braverman urged to ‘stand up’ to France and demand repayment after reports Channel interceptions are falling Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed a three-year £480m Anglo-French deal in March as a key element of his pledge to 'stop the boats.' Despite this, the Telegraph reports French interceptions in the Channel are falling.

August 18, 2023 Faith Ridler

(Sky News) Suella Braverman has been urged to “stand up” to France as reports emerged the country is intercepting fewer migrants in the Channel despite a £480m funding deal. The call from Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis came as the Telegraph claimed just […]

Over 100,000 people now likely to have crossed Channel in small boats since records began New arrivals crossing the English Channel this week have now likely taken the overall number of people who have made the journey in small boats to more than 100,000 since records started in 2018.

August 10, 2023 Faye Brown

(Sky News) The number of people who have crossed the English Channel in small boats in the past five years is now likely to have passed 100,000. Government figures show that since 2018, when records began, 99,960 people have made the perilous […]

Banks accused of closing accounts belonging to British Muslims The Muslim Council of Britain has written to political leaders, saying members of the community are 'disproportionately affected' and need to have their rights protected.

August 1, 2023 Jennifer Scott

(Sky News) British Muslims are having their bank accounts closed “without adequate transparency and recourse,” representatives have claimed. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said individuals and organisations in the community were being “disproportionately affected by this issue” — leaving the group […]

Tory ‘turmoil’ stopped party tackling Islamophobia in its ranks Two years after a report into discrimination within the party concluded, its author says progress has been 'slow' due to multiple changes at the top.

July 24, 2023 Jennifer Scott

(Sky News) The “turmoil” at the top of the Tories has led to “slow” progress in tackling Islamophobia within the party, an independent reviewer has said. Boris Johnson launched an inquiry into discrimination within its ranks after the last election in 2019. […]

Suella Braverman says risk of terrorism ‘rising’ as review says Islamist terror is primary threat The Home Secretary Suella Braverman was speaking following [an] update to the government's counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. Islamist and right-wing extremism were highlighted as the two main threats in the UK.

July 18, 2023 Tim Baker

(Sky News) The risk from terrorism is “rising,” Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said. The cabinet minister was speaking as the government published a review of its counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, which has been updated for the first time in five years. Ms […]

Rishi Sunak says small boats plan is ‘working’ — despite record number of crossings at weekend The prime minister spoke as his flagship Illegal Migration Bill heads back to the Commons after suffering a number of defeats in the House of Lords.

July 11, 2023 Alexandra Rogers

(Sky News) Rishi Sunak has insisted his plan to stop small boat crossings in the Channel is “working” — despite more than 1,000 people making the journey over the weekend. The prime minister said he has always acknowledged that crossings “will increase […]

Manchester Arena bombing inquiry: Chairman raises concerns about slow uptake of recommendations to monitor security services Chairman Sir John Saunders has suggested ways to track the progress of MI5 and Counter Terrorism Policing including an unpaid check-up meeting by his inquiry team.

July 4, 2023 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) There is no mechanism to make sure improvements have been made by MI5 after they made “mistakes” over the Manchester Arena bombing, the chairman of the inquiry has said. Sir John Saunders said there is no agreement on how to […]

Channel crossings on the rise despite Rishi Sunak’s ‘stop the boats’ pledge — as yearly total passes 10,000 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made 'stop the boats' one of his priorities, but this week has seen an increase in Channel crossings and Home Office data shows the annual total now stands at 10,139.

June 18, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Sky News) More than 10,000 people are known to have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, latest figures show. A jump in arrivals in recent days — 486 on Friday and 374 on Saturday — saw the […]

Financial analyst jailed after creating bomb factory in a lock-up Asad Bhatti was described in court as a loner who had a deep-seated hatred for those he considered as 'hypocrites' — along with others for their ethnicity and sexuality. He was convicted of having a stash of bomb-making materials after police received a tip-off from a computer repair shop.

June 12, 2023 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) A financial analyst from Surrey has been jailed for eight years for terrorism offences after he was caught with a bomb factory in a lock-up when he took his laptop in for repair. Asad Bhatti, 50, from Redhill, who worked […]

Lee Rigby’s son speaks out for first time since his dad was murdered 10 years ago Jack Rigby was a toddler when his dad was murdered. Now aged 12, he is fundraising for charity to mark the 10th anniversary of his father's death.

May 18, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Sky News) Lee Rigby’s 12-year-old son has spoken out for the first time since his dad was murdered in 2013. Jack Rigby was just two-years-old when Fusilier Lee Rigby was killed by Islamic extremists outside his barracks in Woolwich, south London, in […]

Twitter user who published image of severed head sentenced to five and a half years in prison As well as tweeting out a picture of French teacher Samuel Paty's severed head, he also sought to encourage attacks on the governments of countries he believed to be 'acting against Islam,' the prosecutor said.

May 11, 2023 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) A Twitter user has been jailed for more than five years after using the platform to publish images encouraging the beheading of teachers for blasphemy against Islam. Ajmal Shahpal, 41, from Nottingham, made the comments shortly after a teacher was […]

Suella Braverman: Illegal immigrants ‘at odds with British values’ — as small boats bill passes next hurdle The home secretary claims criminality is 'very closely linked' to Channel crossings, with 'many' people getting involved in drugs, violence and prostitution. Meanwhile, MPs voted through controversial legislation to tackle small boats and it will now head to the Lords.

April 26, 2023 Jennifer Scott

(Sky News) The behaviour of people arriving in the UK on small boats is “at odds with British values,” the home secretary has claimed. Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Suella Braverman said people making the dangerous Channel crossing — who include asylum […]

Suella Braverman describes grooming gang comments as ‘unfashionable facts’ after backlash The home secretary claimed it was not racist to speak 'plain truths' after she was accused of amplifying far-right narratives with claims most grooming gang members are British-Pakistani.

April 20, 2023 Faye Brown

(Sky News) Suella Braverman has defended her use of language after claiming grooming gang members are “almost all British-Pakistani,” describing them as “unfashionable facts” in the face of a backlash. In a column for the Spectator, the home secretary said it was […]

Shabazz Suleman: British IS recruit who claimed he spent time in Syria ‘on Playstation’ pleads guilty to terror offence Shabazz Suleman, who was arrested after returning to Heathrow in 2021, previously insisted he spent most of his three years in terrorist territory playing PlayStation and riding his bike.

April 14, 2023 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) A former grammar school pupil has pleaded guilty to travelling to Syria to join Islamic State, despite previously claiming he had spent his time there playing computer games. Shabazz Suleman had just completed his AS-levels at a grammar school in […]

Muslim groups urge Suella Braverman to withdraw ‘irresponsible and divisive’ grooming gang comments A Home Office-commissioned study in 2020 found that group-based child sexual exploitation offenders are most commonly white.

April 11, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Sky News) Suella Braverman has been urged to withdraw “divisive” comments around child sexual exploitation (CSE) by dozens of medical bodies, businesses and Muslim community organisations, Sky News can reveal. A number of Muslim organisations across the country have written to Rishi […]

Home Office confirms plan to house asylum seekers in giant barge in Dorset The plan has proved controversial after the local MP and council raised concerns the area is inappropriate for hundreds of asylum seekers to be placed. But the government has said it needs to move them out of expensive hotels.

April 5, 2023 Alix Culbertson and Faye Brown

(Sky News) A giant vessel docked off the Dorset coast will be used to hold hundreds of asylum seekers, the Home Office has confirmed, despite legal threats from local Tories. The barge, called the Bibby Stockholm, will be berthed in Portland Port […]

Manchester Arena attack victim’s father intends to sue MI5 for failing to stop bombing Andrew Roussos, father to victim Saffie Roussos, said that the apology from MI5 came too late, and he wishes he could have his daughter back.

March 5, 2023 Lauren Russell

(Sky News) The father of the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing intends to sue MI5. Eight-year-old Saffie Roussos was one of the 22 people killed in the attack by suicide bomber Salman Abedi, 22, in May 2017. Now her father, […]

Suella Braverman alarmed by ‘death threats’ against pupils who allegedly damaged Koran The home secretary made the remark after four students were suspended over an incident at a school in West Yorkshire. A copy of the Islamic text was reportedly brought into school before its cover was slightly torn and smears of dirt were found on some pages.

March 4, 2023 Tom Gillespie

(Sky News) Reports of death threats against West Yorkshire school pupils who allegedly damaged a copy of the Koran are alarming, the home secretary has said. Suella Braverman has spoken of her “deep concern” over the case and said it raises broader […]

Clare O’Neil says protecting Australians is ‘driving force’ for decisions in the case of domestic terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has faced questions around the release of one of Australia’s most infamous domestic terrorists, as his detention order is set to expire.

February 27, 2023 Ewa Staszewska

(Sky News) Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has reassured Australians that national security is of utmost importance while being quizzed about the potential release of Abdul Nacer Benbrika. The infamous domestic terrorist’s future is up in the air, with a detention order […]

Humza Yousaf’s absence from key vote on gay marriage being ‘dragged up’ for political reasons, SNP leadership candidate says Regarding religious concerns about homosexuality, Humza Yousaf tells Sky News that while he 'can't change what's in scripture,' he will not allow 'personal faith to be the basis of legislation.'

February 26, 2023 Andy Hayes

(Sky News) One of three candidates vying to take over from Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the SNP says his absence from a key vote on gay marriage is being “dragged up” for political reasons. Humza Yousaf told Sky News that his […]

Six men jailed for people-smuggling after joint operation by British and French police The French authorities were alerted about an illicit shipment which saw the launch of surveillance leading to 'one of many significant operational results over the last two to three years' and disruption to a number of organised gangs.

February 8, 2023 Adam Parsons

(Sky News) Six men have been convicted of people-smuggling and sent to prison following a joint operation between British and French police. The men were given sentences ranging from two to five years after a trial in the French city of Douai. […]

Man charged with terrorism offences after incident at Leeds St James’s Hospital maternity unit Mohammad Farooq has been charged with engaging in the preparation of an act of terrorism and with explosives and firearms offences following the incident at St James's Hospital.

January 26, 2023 Samuel Osborne

(Sky News) A man has been charged under the Terrorism Act following an incident at a hospital’s maternity wing in Leeds. Mohammad Farooq, 27, of Roundhay, Leeds, was charged with engaging in the preparation of an act of terrorism and with explosives […]

Barber shop owner who sent COVID grants money to Islamic State fighters jailed Police identified transfers of money with a total of about £11,280 — while the court heard Tarek Namouz was recorded telling a visitor in prison he had sent around £25,000.

January 5, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Sky News) A barber shop owner who sent thousands of pounds to Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria after claiming COVID grant payments has been jailed for 12 years. Tarek Namouz, 43, from Hammersmith in west London, had received the bounce-back loans […]

Rishi Sunak’s Albania immigration strategy unlikely to reduce Channel crossings, claims source The prime minister's flagship policy is unlikely to reduce overall illegal immigration, a senior source at the Home Office has warned.

January 3, 2023 Joe Pike

(Sky News) Rishi Sunak’s flagship policy to stop Albanian migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats is unlikely to reduce overall illegal immigration because of “infinite” demand, Home Office sources have warned. The prime minister’s five-point plan, launched last month, specifically […]

Record number of people cross Channel to UK in small boats in 2022 — as arrivals soar by 60% in a year The figures, compiled and analysed by Sky News, show a sharp rise in the number of arrivals last year — a continuation of a years-long trend that shows no signs of stopping.

January 1, 2023 Michael Drummond

(Sky News) A record 45,728 people crossed the English Channel to the UK on small boats in 2022, up more than 60% on the previous year as migrants continue to risk their lives making the dangerous journey. The perils of the deep […]

Disused cruise ships could house asylum seekers — as government due to spend £2.3bn a year on hotels The home secretary told peers at a committee there are 117,000 people in the UK's asylum system, with 40,000 in hotels, which is costing more than £5m a day.

December 21, 2022 Alix Culbertson

(Sky News) Disused cruise ships could be used to house asylum seekers — while the government expects to spend £3.5bn on people who have come to the UK to find sanctuary from persecution this fiscal year, the home secretary has said. Suella […]

Tories call for changes to modern slavery rules to send ‘bogus asylum seekers’ home A group of Tory MPs wants to make it easier to return 'bogus asylum seekers' to the homes 'in the villages from which they came from.'

November 28, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Sky News) A group of more than 50 MPs has written to PM Rishi Sunak, urging him to introduce emergency legislation which will cut small boat crossings of the Channel. The group, which includes former cabinet ministers, called for the rapid implementation […]

Barber shop owner sent COVID grant money to Islamic State fighters, court hears

November 24, 2022 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) A barber shop owner sent £25,000 to Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria after claiming thousands of pounds in COVID grants, a court has heard. Tarek Namouz, 43, from west London, had received money from the government to assist his […]

Shamima Begum: Police and school ‘missed opportunities’ to stop her leaving UK, lawyers claim Questions have been raised over whether 'key indicators' that Ms Begum and her two school friends were at risk of being trafficked were missed.

November 22, 2022 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) The police and her school missed opportunities to stop Shamima Begum travelling to Syria and joining ISIS and should have stopped her, according to her lawyers. There were questions about whether “key indicators” that Ms Begum and her two school […]

Shamima Begum was sexually exploited by ISIS, appeal hearing told Ms Begum, now 23, left Britain with two friends from the Bethnal Green Academy in east London, who are thought to have been killed in the conflict.

November 21, 2022 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) Shamima Begum, the jihadi bride, was trafficked by ISIS for sexual exploitation, her lawyers have told a hearing to appeal against her deprivation of citizenship. She launched her main appeal against the decision, with her lawyers telling a tribunal: “Shamima […]

Drill rapping ‘terrorist’ Al Arfat Hassan ‘threatened blood and torment if his girlfriend left him,’ court hears Al Arfat Hassan, 19, from Enfield, told his girlfriend he would 'blow sh*t up' if she broke up with him and told her she couldn't visit her eight-year-old cousin without wearing a veil.

October 18, 2022 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) A drill rapping alleged terrorist threatened to bring “blood, terror and torment” when his girlfriend told her she was splitting up with him, a court has heard. Al Arfat Hassan, 19, had a series of arguments with a girl he […]

Revealed: The breadcrumb trail that identified the IS ‘Beatles’ Police followed a 'trail of very small breadcrumbs' to identify the British terrorists, but one piece of information a hostage felt was 'fairly unremarkable' turned out to be hugely significant.

August 17, 2022 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) Freed hostages were able to give British police key information identifying an IS kidnap gang nicknamed “The Beatles” which had held and tortured them, Scotland Yard has revealed. Officers have disclosed key breakthroughs that allowed them to identify the jihadis […]

Liz Truss says she would ‘support and extend’ the [government’s] controversial Rwanda deportation policy ‘to more countries’ The government announced its plan to send migrants who arrive illegally in the UK to Rwanda just three months ago, saying it would deter people from making the Channel crossings.

August 3, 2022 Sophie Morris

(Sky News) Liz Truss has said she would “support and extend” the government’s controversial Rwanda deportation policy “to more countries.” The widely criticised strategy, introduced by the current Conservative government, has been the subject of numerous court cases and received widespread international […]

Shamima Begum: IS bride insists she ‘didn’t hate Britain’ when she fled to Syria — and now wants to face trial in UK She left home in London aged 15 for the promise of paradise, instead she found 'hell, hell on Earth.' Begum rejects accusations that she carried out atrocities as part of IS as 'all completely false.'

November 21, 2021 Alistair Bunkall

(Sky News) Shamima Begum, the Bethnal Green schoolgirl who fled to Syria and joined IS, has told Sky News she was groomed by friends and older men she met online before joining the terror group. Speaking from a prison camp in Syria, […]

Man charged with terror offences after arrest at Heathrow Airport, Thames Valley Police say Shabazz Suleman, 25, who is accused of being a member of the so-called Islamic State terrorist group, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Wednesday.

October 5, 2021 Rebecca Speare-Cole

(Sky News) A man has been charged with terror offences after being arrested at Heathrow Airport, Thames Valley Police said. Shabazz Suleman, who is also accused of being a member of the Islamic State group, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on […]

Afghanistan: Person on no-fly list flown into UK during evacuation operation, MPs told The individual, who is not being identified by the government, is understood to have reached UK soil on a British military plane, with officials being alerted overnight.'

August 23, 2021 Sam Coates and Deborah Haynes

(Sky News) A person from Afghanistan on the UK’s no-fly list has been flown into Birmingham as part of the British evacuation operation in a potential security breach, MPs have been told. The individual, who is not being identified by the government, […]

Fishmongers’ Hall: Intelligence warned killer might attack on release — but it wasn’t widely circulated, inquest told Before Khan's release, a policeman's pocket book recorded he was a 'radicaliser of others' and in prison 'holds shariah court.'

May 19, 2021 Duncan Gardham

(Sky News) Intelligence warned the Fishmongers’ Hall killer might launch an attack on his release from prison — but it was not shared with his probation officer, an inquest has heard. Usman Khan was handed an indeterminate sentence in 2012 for plotting […]

Shamima Begum: IS bride ‘angry, upset and crying’ after court rules she can’t return to UK Her friends at their camp in northern Syria told Sky News she is refusing to speak to them.

February 27, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Sky News) IS bride Shamima Begum is “very angry, upset and crying” after being refused permission to return to the UK to fight a decision to strip her of British citizenship. On Friday, five Supreme Court justices unanimously turned down her request […]

Terrorists should ‘not necessarily’ serve full jail term, says Jeremy Corbyn The father of terror victim Jack Merritt does not wish his son's death to be 'used as a pretext for more draconian sentences.'

December 1, 2019 Emily Mee and Alan McGuinness

(Sky News) Jeremy Corbyn has told Sky News that convicted terrorists should “not necessarily” automatically serve their full prison sentences. The Labour leader’s comment comes in the wake of Friday’s London Bridge terror attack, which left two people dead. The attacker, 28-year-old […]

British IS fighters could be brought back to the UK to face prosecution The US has put significant pressure on Britain and other European allies to deal with hundreds of detained IS militants.

November 23, 2019 Deborah Haynes

(Sky News) British Islamic State detainees will be brought back from Syria if they can be prosecuted in the UK and there is no better place to try their case, the national security adviser has said. Sir Mark Sedwill’s comments are the […]

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi death: Monitoring of Islamist extremist suspects in Britain stepped up The move is precautionary amid warnings of potential reprisal attacks after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed himself in a US raid.

October 28, 2019 Deborah Haynes

(Sky News) Security officials are increasing monitoring of high-priority Islamist extremist suspects in Britain following the death of the leader of Islamic State, according to Sky sources. The move is precautionary amid warnings of the potential for reprisal attacks by supporters of […]

Jihadi Jack: ‘Free me so I can fight against Islamic radicalisation’ Jack Letts tells Sky News he doesn't mind losing his British citizenship because he doesn't want to be governed by Boris Johnson.

August 20, 2019 Dominic Waghorn

(Sky News) The Briton who ran away to join Islamic State as a teenager has told Sky News he wants to be released from jail to join the fight against Islamist radicalisation. In an interview from prison, Jack Letts told Sky News […]

Muslims divided over Johnson’s controversial comments in the past Boris Johnson became prime minister saying he would unify the country but to some Muslims he has been a divisive figure.

July 27, 2019 Lisa Holland

(Sky News) Boris Johnson is morally unfit to be prime minister, according to a former chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum. Mohammed Amin, who has been a member of the Tory party for 36 years, shocked many in June when he compared […]