Four pro-Palestine protesters face charges for damaging planes at UK air base
Listen to article
Four pro-Palestine activists have been charged after breaking into a military air base in central England last month and damaging two planes in protest against Britain's support for Israel.
Counter-terrorism police said the charges were for conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
The four, aged between 22 and 35, remain in custody and are due to appear in a London court on Thursday. Police said they will present evidence to court linking the offences to terrorism.
The campaign group Palestine Action has said it was behind the incident on June 20, when the air base in Oxfordshire in central England was broken into and red paint was sprayed over two planes used for refuelling and transport.
British lawmakers voted on Wednesday to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The group has condemned the decision as an "abuse of power" and announced plans to challenge it in court.
The police statement said those charged had caused seven million pounds ($9.55 million) worth of damage to the two aircraft at the Brize Norton Royal Air Force base.
Palestine Action has routinely targeted companies in Britain with links to Israel, including Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
14th August Independence Day: A Dawn of Independence
Seventy-nine years ago, a frail yet determined and resolute man led a nation to freedom—freeing us from the double yoke of colonial British domination and Hindu-majority Congress tyranny. The British Raj and Congress conspired to suppress our aspirations, yet the will of the people triumphed. The ballot prevailed over the bullet. A homeland was won —Pakistan—envisioned as a welfare state where the common man, the real architect and author of freedom, would steer the wheels of destiny. But alas, that dream remains unfulfilled. Faiz's stained dawn still lingers--a freedom incomplete, a dream deferred. Despite the passage of nearly eight decades, the life of the common man-- the very soul and architect of Pakistan, remains unchanged—his pain multiplied, his miseries deepened. Betrayed and ignored, he has been reduced to a rhetorical figure—celebrated in speeches during election days, then discarded like torn posters in the corridors of power. Lofty promises evaporate the moment power is secured. Women with malnourished children wander hospitals, only to find absent doctors and missing medicines. Justice is a mirage—expensive, delayed, and often denied--remains out of his reach, especially in lower courts. Police stations designed to protect him, often serve as hubs of power, where only connections and currency speak. In rural Pakistan, children walk miles to access distant, dilapidated schools; public services are practically nonexistent reminding common man of his insignificance. When the skies pour, cities resemble stagnant rivers for days. Water remains accumulated till such time, it gets naturally evaporated. Infrastructure crumbles. The billions borrowed in the people's name for uplifting them vanish into a black hole of inefficiency and corruption making no visible difference. Instead, every rupee borrowed adds weight to the shoulders of the poor—who pay taxes only to endure humiliation, inflation, insecurity, and systemic decay. Those who gave blood for Pakistan now beg for bread in it. Democracy, once promised as the guardian of rights, has been repeatedly derailed by power-hungry generals, exploiting the incompetence of corrupt and opportunist politicians. Parliament—meant to be the voice of the people—has often been silenced. The judiciary, rather than questioning usurpers, has offered them validation—starting from Justice Munir's infamous verdict in the MaulviTamizuddin Khan case of 1955. Since then, dictators have ruled while courts have looked away. Even when democracy returned, it remained controlled, diluted, and elitist. The arrival of Imran Khan was celebrated as a change, a breath of fresh air—a departure from dynastic politics. But that hope, too, proved illusory. He mirrored the very practices he had vowed to end. The man who rallied against begging bowl and slavery shattered past records in borrowing. Political adversaries were hunted and jailed; language unbecoming of leadership became routine. The reformer became just another name in the long ledger of letdown. The change he promised was swallowed by the status quo. The common man—the one who labours, toils, sacrifices—is still shackled by poverty, unemployment, hunger, disease, crime, and injustice. The Constitution guarantees his rights. Parliament claims to represent him. But in truth, he remains marginal—talked about, never acted for. Why, after 79 years, is he still food insecure? Why does poverty, unemployment, and disease haunt every street? Why do a few enjoy palatial homes while millions live in slums, their children pulled out of schools to earn bread? In rural areas, the feudal lords thrive, their opulent havelis towering over peasants shacks. In cities, slums fester beside skyscrapers, a monument to inequality. What did freedom mean if the multitudes remain shackled? This glaring inequality pushes disillusioned youth towards crime, drugs, and extremism. What have we achieved if our people still grope in darkness while nations born after us touch the skies? Nations that rose from ashes--Germany, Japan, South Korea stand as titans. Even Bangladesh once poorer out spaces us in growth. We are still here with birthday problems, and wallow in misgovernance and mediocrity. Our Parliament unites only when it comes to increasing its own perks and privileges. Why not show the same unity and urgency for solving public woes? Why not brainstorming for breaking begging bowl and reviving a moribund economy? Why don't they mourn their failures instead of picking up quarrels in parliament, to take us out of the abyss? Let our legislators burn the midnight oil—not for personal gains but for national salvation. Let them tackle staggering foreign debts, tax evasion, bloated administrative spending, and the burden of unnecessary advisers, SAPMs and parliamentary committees. Let them shrink the cabinet to a functional size, cut elite privileges, and redirect the saved funds to education and health. Let the rich parliamentarians lead by example—living modestly, earning only daily allowances when in session. Let the judiciary be truly independent. Let the Election Commission be powerful and free of political manipulation. Let institutions serve the people, not power. We have a right to ask Parliament to be accountable—to be the house of the people, not the elite. Our struggle for freedom did not end in 1947; it remains unfinished. Real azaadi will come when the people are freed from hunger, fear, debt, and despair and Constitution's promises and fruits of independence reach out to the street, the village, the slum and to the vulnerable. Let us, on this 79th anniversary of our independence, solemnly pledge to fulfilFaiz's dream and vision of a radiant, unblemished dawn worthy of those who gave their all for this land. Let us strive for that 'bright and shining dawn' we once dreamed of—a Pakistan where the common man is no longer betrayed, but finally empowered. Ye daaghdaaghujala, ye shab-gazidasahar Who intezaarthajiska, ye who sahar to nahin… (This stained light, this night-bitten dawn— This is not the dawn we had waited for…) — Faiz Ahmed Faiz Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Oil and gas output hits 20-year low
Amid renewed hopes of US investment in Pakistan's oil sector, spurred by recent tweets from former US President Donald Trump hinting at greater American involvement in local exploration and implying potential crude supply to India, Pakistan has recorded its weakest oil and gas production in more than two decades. Industry data for fiscal year 2025 (FY25) shows a steep double-digit drop in both crude oil and natural gas output, deepening concerns over energy security and foreign exchange pressures. Analysts warn the downturn, driven by structural imbalances, regulatory measures, and surplus imported LNG, could deepen in the year ahead, adding pressure to the country's foreign exchange reserves and energy security. Pakistan's oil and gas sector recorded its weakest output in more than two decades during fiscal year 2025 (FY25), as surplus regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) in the system forced a curtailment of local production. According to a report by Topline Securities, hydrocarbon output fell sharply, with crude oil volumes down 12% year-on-year (YoY) and natural gas output slipping 8% YoY. The downturn accelerated in the final quarter, with oil production dropping 8% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and 15% YoY, while gas production contracted by 7% QoQ and 10% YoY, underscoring persistent strain on the sector. The surplus RLNG was driven in part by a policy shift that diverted captive industrial users from natural gas to the national power grid. Compounding the pressure, the government imposed an "off-grid levy" on captive gas consumption at a rate of Rs791 per million British thermal units (mmbtu), pushing the total cost to Rs4,291/mmbtu. This made electricity generation via gas more expensive than grid supply, further discouraging industrial gas use and reducing demand for domestic production. Oil output averaged 62,400 barrels per day (bpd) in FY25, with volumes falling across major fields by between 3% and 46%. Key producers such as Makori East, Nashpa, Maramzai, Pasakhi, and Mardankhel all saw declines. The Tal Block, which accounts for roughly 17% of Pakistan's total oil production, posted a steep 22% YoY decline in the fourth quarter alone. Within the block, production from the Maramzai and Mardankhel fields plunged by 54% and 52% YoY, respectively, highlighting the severity of the downturn. Gas output averaged 2,886 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) in FY25, with major fields also under pressure. Qadirpur and Nashpa recorded the steepest contractions in the fourth quarter, down 36% and 34% YoY, respectively, largely due to curtailment by the Sui gas companies. Even the Sui field itself, Pakistan's largest gas producer, reported consistent declines, reflecting the sector-wide impact of the RLNG oversupply and shifting demand patterns. The cutback in domestic production has had significant macroeconomic consequences. Topline Securities estimates that the increased reliance on imported fuels, necessitated by the reduced local output, placed an additional strain of more than $1.2 billion on Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves during FY25. Analysts warn that this not only inflates the import bill but also exposes the country to greater vulnerability from global fuel price swings and potential supply disruptions. Looking ahead, the outlook remains challenging. Topline projects that oil production will hover between 58,000-60,000 bpd in FY26, while gas output is expected to remain in the range of 2,750-2,850 mmcfd. Without a reversal of current policies or new investment in exploration and production (E&P), FY26 could mark the third consecutive year of declining hydrocarbon volumes. There is, however, a potential opening for recovery. The government is set to renegotiate its long-term RLNG supply agreement with Qatar in March 2026. Industry observers believe that more flexible contract terms could give domestic E&P companies the space to ramp up production, provided field maintenance and capital expenditure remain on track. Balancing imported LNG supply with the need to sustain indigenous production, they note, will be critical to ensuring Pakistan's energy security and protecting its fragile foreign exchange position.
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
'Missing' Chinese diplomat reappears
A Chinese diplomat, who Reuters reported had been taken for questioning by Chinese authorities, appeared at a diplomatic event in Beijing on Friday evening. Sun Haiyan, a senior Chinese diplomat and former ambassador to Singapore, appeared as a guest at an event organised by India's embassy in Beijing. In response to a question from Reuters at the event, Sun did not comment directly on whether authorities had detained or questioned her, saying, "Well, I'm here." She called the Reuters report "irresponsible". Reuters had reported on Friday that Sun had been taken for questioning by authorities earlier this month, citing three people with knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Reuters could not determine the matters the questioning related to. Chinese authorities questioned Sun around the same time they questioned Liu Jianchao, widely seen as a potential foreign minister candidate, two of the three people with knowledge told Reuters.
