United Kingdom

Health & Medicine

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   

(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 […]

Government & Politics

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   

(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 […]

Immigration

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   

(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 […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Radical Islamist organisations being funded by Tory government’s counter-terrorism programme: report

December 29, 2022   

(Breitbart) The British taxpayer has allegedly been handed out to radical Islamist organisations that have “promoted extremist narratives,” according to leaked draft excerpts from an independent review on the government’s counter-[terrorism] programme. A long-awaited review conducted by former Charity Commission Chairman Sir […]

Government & Politics

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   

(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 […]

Government & Politics

Iranian influence and threats growing in the UK, says security minister Hardline regime in Tehran has threatened to kill or kidnap 10 people in Britain this year

December 13, 2022   

(National-UAE) Britain is facing growing interference, threats and influence from state actors including Iran, security minister Tom Tugendhat has warned. Since 10 Iranian plots were revealed in November more incidents have come to light. Foreign meddling of this nature, he said, poses […]

Demographics

UK: Growing Muslim population hailed as ‘strategic national asset’ New census data suggests Christians now a minority in England and Wales while number of those with 'no religion' increases

November 30, 2022   

(Middle East Eye) The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has said that the growth of the UK’s Muslim population is a “strategic national asset” for the country but raised concerns about the levels of poverty the community continues to live in. Results […]

Government & Politics

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   

(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 […]

Children & Teens

Independent agency probing CSIS after claim that operative smuggled teenage girls into Syria Minister of public safety requested independent review in September

November 24, 2022   

(CBC) An independent government agency is reviewing how Canada’s spy agency handles human sources after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised in August to follow up on claims that an ISIS member who was also working as a CSIS operative smuggled three British teenagers into Syria in 2015. The three […]

Academics & Education

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   

(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 […]

Children & Teens

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   

(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 […]