What we see in Gaza is jihad rekindled. Netanyahu must be stopped
All this corroborates what senior Israeli sources told me in February: that terrorist networks are replacing dead Hamas fighters at a rate of five to one. At the time, it sounded a realistic appraisal. Now, after five more months of destruction, I suspect it will prove to be a dire underestimate. A British security source told Reuters that the Gaza war is 'likely to become the biggest recruiter for Islamist militants since 2003'. The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism warned that such conditions are 'active incubators for the next generation of extremist operatives'.
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Scottish Sun
27 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Fears Brit couple held hostage by Taliban will die as dad ‘suffers stroke' after months locked up in underground cell
The husband described being shackled to rapists and 'a demon-possessed man' who murdered his family LOCKED UP Fears Brit couple held hostage by Taliban will die as dad 'suffers stroke' after months locked up in underground cell Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN ELDERLY Brit couple held hostage and beaten by the Taliban could die if not rescued soon, the UN has warned. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, were snatched by Taliban thugs and tossed into Afghanistan's most notorious prison nearly six months ago - where Peter is believed to have since suffered a stroke. 5 Peter and Barbie Reynolds were scooped up in February and thrown into a brutal prison Credit: Supplied 5 The couple moved to Afghanistan in 2009, where they run training projects The parents-of-four had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years managing training projects, when they were kidnapped on February 1 with no explanation. They were locked up separately at the maximum security Pul-e-Charkhi in Kabul, and later moved to an underground cell beneath the Taliban's intelligence HQ. Eighty-year-old Peter has been chained up, shackled and smacked over the head. Alice Edwards, the UN's special rapporteur on torture, said: 'We see no reason why this elderly couple should be detained at all, and have requested an immediate review of the grounds of their detention. READ MORE IN WORLD NEWS TORTURED SOULS Inside dark history of abandoned asylum that starred in blockbuster thriller 'It is inhumane to keep them locked up in such degrading conditions and more worrying when their health is so fragile.' Peter had a mini stroke in 2023, and is thought to have suffered another one or a silent heart attack while being held prisoner. Barbie, meanwhile, is struggling with dizzy spells and numbness linked to anaemia - which can be caused by a lack of sunlight. The married couple were moved out from underground last week, but are still forced to sleep on mats on the hard floor - and have been provided on furniture. Alice said: 'Their physical and mental health is deteriorating rapidly. "Without access to adequate medical care they are at risk of irreparable harm or even death.' Notorious Iranian prison is BLITZED as 'Israel blows up gate to Evin jail in bid to free Ayatollah's fiercest critics' In April, Peter described the excruciating conditions as "the nearest thing to hell". In a phone recording heard by The Sunday Times, he said: 'I've been joined up with rapists and murderers by handcuffs and ankle cuffs, including a man who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man.' He continued: "The atmosphere is pretty shocking. I am learning a lot about the underbelly of Afghanistan. "The prison guards shout all the time and beat people with a piece of piping. "It's a horrible atmosphere — the nearest thing to hell I can imagine." The Reynolds were some of the only foreigners not to leave Afghanistan when the Taliban seized back power four years ago. They had been living peaceful lives in the mountainous region of Bamain - famous for the giant Buddha statues blown up by the previous Taliban regime. 5 Faye Hall, the couple's interprator, was arrested with them but later released Credit: AP 5 Hall was received at the Qatari embassy in Kabul and confirmed to be in good health Credit: Reuters Their family said they had never encountered any trouble from the regime since settling there in 2009. Last week was the pair's 55th wedding anniversary. Barbie told a Foreign Office official this week: 'We have been told we are guests of the government but this is no way to treat a guest." Peter and Barbie were arrested on February 1 along with their interpreter, Jaya, and a visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall. The group was detained after flying in a small plane from Kabul to an airstrip near their home in the central province of Bamiyan. They bundled into vans and taken to separate parts of maximum-security Pul-e-Charki. On May 22 the couple were moved to the headquarters of the GDI — the General Directorate of Intelligence — and put in an underground cell. Although the couple are now together, they have had almost no access to phones since being moved. The last time their four children spoke to them was over a month ago. It was initially thought they had been arrested for teaching parenting skills to mothers. The Taliban later bizarrely claimed the arrest was due to a "misunderstanding" - though did not release them. Hall, their interpretor, was released on March 27 following a court order. Following her release the American citizen heaped praises for president Trump. Hall said in a video posted by Trump on Truth Social: "I've never been so proud to be an American citizen. Thank you, Mr President."
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
Fears Brit couple held hostage by Taliban will die as dad ‘suffers stroke' after months locked up in underground cell
AN ELDERLY Brit couple held hostage and beaten by the Taliban could die if not rescued soon, the UN has warned. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, were snatched by Taliban thugs and tossed into Afghanistan's most notorious prison nearly six months ago - where Peter is believed to have since suffered a stroke. 5 5 The parents-of-four had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years managing training projects, when they were kidnapped on February 1 with no explanation. They were locked up separately at the maximum security Pul-e-Charkhi in Kabul, and later moved to an underground cell beneath the Taliban's intelligence HQ. Eighty-year-old Peter has been chained up, shackled and smacked over the head. Alice Edwards, the UN's special rapporteur on torture, said: 'We see no reason why this elderly couple should be detained at all, and have requested an immediate review of the grounds of their detention. 'It is inhumane to keep them locked up in such degrading conditions and more worrying when their health is so fragile.' Peter had a mini stroke in 2023, and is thought to have suffered another one or a silent heart attack while being held prisoner. Barbie, meanwhile, is struggling with dizzy spells and numbness linked to anaemia - which can be caused by a lack of sunlight. The married couple were moved out from underground last week, but are still forced to sleep on mats on the hard floor - and have been provided on furniture. Alice said: 'Their physical and mental health is deteriorating rapidly. "Without access to adequate medical care they are at risk of irreparable harm or even death.' Notorious Iranian prison is BLITZED as 'Israel blows up gate to Evin jail in bid to free Ayatollah's fiercest critics' In April, Peter described the excruciating conditions as "the nearest thing to hell". In a phone recording heard by The Sunday Times, he said: 'I've been joined up with rapists and murderers by handcuffs and ankle cuffs, including a man who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man.' He continued: "The atmosphere is pretty shocking. I am learning a lot about the underbelly of Afghanistan. "The prison guards shout all the time and beat people with a piece of piping. "It's a horrible atmosphere — the nearest thing to hell I can imagine." The Reynolds were some of the only foreigners not to leave Afghanistan when the Taliban seized back power four years ago. They had been living peaceful lives in the mountainous region of Bamain - famous for the giant Buddha statues blown up by the previous Taliban regime. 5 5 Their family said they had never encountered any trouble from the regime since settling there in 2009. Last week was the pair's 55th wedding anniversary. Barbie told a Foreign Office official this week: 'We have been told we are guests of the government but this is no way to treat a guest." Peter and Barbie were arrested on February 1 along with their interpreter, Jaya, and a visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall. The group was detained after flying in a small plane from Kabul to an airstrip near their home in the central province of Bamiyan. They bundled into vans and taken to separate parts of maximum-security Pul-e-Charki. On May 22 the couple were moved to the headquarters of the GDI — the General Directorate of Intelligence — and put in an underground cell. Although the couple are now together, they have had almost no access to phones since being moved. The last time their four children spoke to them was over a month ago. It was initially thought they had been arrested for teaching parenting skills to mothers. The Taliban later bizarrely claimed the arrest was due to a "misunderstanding" - though did not release them. Hall, their interpretor, was released on March 27 following a court order. Following her release the American citizen heaped praises for president Trump. Hall said in a video posted by Trump on Truth Social: "I've never been so proud to be an American citizen. Thank you, Mr President." 5
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Home Office social media influencer resigns after it designates Palestine Action a terrorist group
Former Coronation Street actress and social media influencer has ended her collaboration with the Home Office after the Government designated pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action a terrorist organisation. Nicola Thorp, 36, who has been a vocal advocate for women's safety since surviving a horrific stalking ordeal, said she could no longer 'essentially promote and do PR for' the department. She went on to accuse it of being 'complicit in the most abhorrent acts of violence against women and little girls in Gaza '. The actress-turned-activist had previously worked with the Home Office to promote its strategy to combat violence against women and girls. But in a strongly worded Instagram post, she revealed she had turned down a recent request to help publicise the initiative, which is being led by Labour MP Jess Phillips, now serving as a minister in the department. 'This request came shortly after Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, had announced that she would be proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation,' Ms Thorp explained. 'And it really got me thinking about how I feel about this particular Government.' The outspoken TV star, who played Nicola Rubinstein in the long-running ITV soap, added that while she supports domestic policies aimed at protecting women and girls, she could not in good conscience work with a Government she claims is 'an ally to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]' and continues to supply 'arms licences to Israel'. 'While I obviously support domestic efforts and policies put in place to reduce violence against women and girls in the UK, their continued supply of arms licences to Israel along with their position as an ally to the IDF is wildly hypocritical,' she said. Ms Thorp, who made headlines last year as a campaigner for the new 'right to know' anti-stalking policy after her own stalker was jailed, said all her previous work with the Home Office had been done on a voluntary basis. Her stalker, schizophrenic Ravinderjit Dhillon, was sentenced to 30 months in jail at Snaresbrook Crown Court in December 2023 after a disturbing two-year campaign of harassment in which he used 27 different online aliases to send her terrifying threats. Including one chilling message that read: 'I'm your Grim Reaper. I'm never going to leave you.' The traumatised actress has since dedicated much of her platform to women's safety but she has increasingly used it to criticise the Government's stance on Gaza and the policing of pro-Palestinian protests in the UK. Sharing a video of an armed officer confronting a man holding a Palestinian flag, Ms Thorp wrote: 'This is Yvette Cooper's Britain.' She called the scene 'unbelievable' and added: 'Where are all the free speech advocates now?' Ms Thorp has also refused an invitation to speak at the Labour Party conference this September on a panel about violence against women and girls hosted by the NSPCC. In her response, she said: 'I have ceased my work with the current Labour Government and will no longer be promoting any of the work they're doing to tackle violence against women and girls.' In the wake of her comments, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp launched a blistering attack on the former soap star, accusing her of 'virtue signalling' and defending the Government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action. 'Palestine Action is a violent group who want to achieve their political aims through coercion and criminal damage,' Mr Philp said. 'They have sabotaged an RAF aircraft, which our country relies on to defend us, they have smashed up property and they have even attacked a police officer with a sledgehammer. This is all totally unacceptable. 'In this country, we decide issues by debate and elections – not violence and intimidation. Palestine Action's methods should be condemned by anyone who believes in democracy and a peaceful political process. This influencer needs to stop virtue-signalling on Instagram and call out Palestine Action's violent tactics.' The Home Office has declined to comment. In recent years, the Government has increasingly turned to influencers - both paid and unpaid - to promote key policies to younger audiences on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. In 2020, Love Island stars were reportedly paid to promote the NHS Test and Trace scheme.
