Best photos of May 21: Animal refuge in Mexico to Dunkirk anniversary
A flotilla of Little Ships sail out of Ramsgate, Kent, during the start of 'Dunkirk 85', the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) commemorative cruise to Dunkirk, to mark the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo. PA
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Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Moscow poses no threat to Britain, says Russia's UK embassy
Russia's embassy in London said on Tuesday that Moscow had no intention of attacking Britain, rejecting accusations by the British government of growing aggression and daily cyberattacks. Britain said on Monday it would radically change its approach to defence to address new threats, including from Russia, after endorsing the findings of an independently-produced Strategic Defence Review. After unveiling the defence overhaul on Monday, Healey said Europe was facing war, growing Russian aggression, new nuclear risks and daily cyberattacks. Russia's embassy issued a statement on Tuesday criticising what it described as "a fresh salvo of anti-Russian rhetoric". "Russia poses no threat to the United Kingdom and its people," the statement said. "We harbour no aggressive intentions and have no plans to attack Britain. We are not interested in doing so, nor do we need to." Relations between Russia and Britain are at their lowest level since the Cold War. They deteriorated further after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Britain and other Nato members have provided large amounts of military aid and other support to Kyiv. China's embassy in London also criticised Britain's defence review, saying in a statement on Tuesday that the document deliberately misrepresented Beijing's defence policy to justify British military expansion. The review had described China as "a sophisticated and persistent challenge", citing its rapid military modernisation, including an expanded nuclear arsenal, and saying Beijing was likely using espionage and cyberattacks, and stealing intellectual property.
The National
5 days ago
- The National
Two Afghans jailed over migrant boat crossing that killed woman and child
Two Afghans have been sentenced to jail for piloting an overcrowded boat in which a woman and a boy aged eight died as they attempted to cross the English Channel. Shah Salim Sajjadi, 38, and Safiollah Mohammadi, 25, pressed ahead despite knowing the vessel was dangerously overcrowded, the UK's National Crime Agency has said. Their conviction comes as figures show that so far this year, 14,812 migrants have made the crossing, with 1,195 arriving on May 31 alone, a record for a single day and an increase of 40 per cent compared to the same time last year. The UK Home Office has also released data showing there has been an increase in the number of days when conditions are favourable for crossing in small boats, known as 'red days'. The woman and child who died on the boat piloted by Sajjadi and Mohammadi on May 21 last year were Turkish nationals, according to reports at the time. They were found dead in an overloaded boat from the northern town of Gravelines, carrying some 80 migrants who requested help from a French navy vessel. The small boats used by smugglers to take asylum seekers across the Channel are often so overloaded that passengers die of suffocation or are crushed to death. The French military intervened when authorities were informed that two passengers on board were unconscious. They were pronounced dead by a medical team and taken to the port city of Calais, along with 10 other passengers who had requested assistance. The boat continued its journey towards the UK. Those on board included Iranians, Iraqis and Sudanese. Sajjadi and Mohammadi were later charged with enabling illegal immigration to the UK, and pleaded guilty during a hearing at Folkestone Magistrates. They have been sentenced to eight months in prison. National Crime Agency branch commander Adam Berry said: 'This tragic incident demonstrates just how dangerous these crossings are, and the callous nature of those who organise them. The boat in question was dangerously over-crowded, but Sajjadi and Mohammadi chose to carry on with their journey.' Mr Berry added that the agency is continuing to work with the French authorities to investigate the circumstances of the crossing and the fatalities. Meanwhile data shows that, in 12 months to April this year, there were 190 red days, compared to 106 in 2024, and 102 in the previous year. The Labour government came to power in July 2024. 'Small boat arrival numbers are subject to seasonal fluctuations in part due to changes in the weather, typically with peaks in warmer summer months when crossing conditions are more favourable," the Home office said. 'Just as small boat arrivals are subject to seasonal variation through any given year, there is also variation in arrivals across years.' But Chris Philp, the Conservatives shadow Home Secretary, blamed the increase in small numbers on the Labour mistakenly cancelling the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, which would have acted as a deterrent. 'Labour seems to think praying for bad weather is a good border security strategy. This is a weak Government, with no plan to end illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. 'That's why 2025 is the worst year in history for illegal crossings - not the weather. This is a clear fail for our weak Prime Minister and his weak Home Secretary.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for greater assistance from France in tackling the people smugglers, who are launching boats down further away from the coast to exploit loopholes in French rules that have stopped police from taking any action in the sea. 'The previous Government raised the issue with France for years, but to no avail, and I have raised it with the French Government since the summer,' she told the House of Commons. 'The French Minister of the Interior, and the French Cabinet, have now agreed that their rules need to change. 'French maritime review is looking at what new operational tactics they will use, and we are urging France to complete the review and implement the changes as swiftly as possible. "This weekend I have again been in touch with the French Minister of the Interior, who supports stronger action, and further discussions are under way this week. I will update the House in due course."
The National
6 days ago
- The National
Iranian journalists in UK facing increasing threats
Iranian journalists in the UK say they have experienced an 'increasingly alarming escalation' in threats in recent months, with the BBC accusing Iran of intimidating staff and their relatives. Journalists working on BBC News Persian were experiencing a 'disturbing rise in the persecution of their family members' in Iran, the BBC's Director General Tim Davie said in statement. 'We call on the Iranian authorities to immediately cease this campaign of intimidation,' he said. Independent news organisation Iran International told The National that pressure on their staff has also increased since their anchor Pouria Zeraati was stabbed in London in March 2024. 'It's been a very noticeable upsurge over the last year, it is getting worst. We can't put figures on it,' said Adam Baillie, a spokesperson for the broadcaster. The channel is working very closely with the Metropolitan Police and its counter-terrorism unit, and the threats are 'only increasing', he said. 'Several individuals are being targeted very directly. It's ongoing, intense business that is continually developing.' Mr Baillie believes the rise is linked to the recent US and Israeli military pressure on Iran and its proxies, which is weakening the regime. 'We associate it with the very dire situation in Iran. [The Iranian government] have their backs against the wall,' he said. A court hearing for three Iranian nationals accused of targeting journalists working for Iran International will take place on Friday. The men were arrested under the National Security Act in early May. It is not the first time that the BBC has accused the Iranian regime of targeting its Persian-language journalists over the past decade. But there had been a 'significant and increasingly alarming escalation' recently, Monday's statement said. Constant threat Targeted journalists' relatives in Iran have endured random interrogations, travel bans, passport confiscations and threats that assets will be seized, the BBC said. Staff in the UK and elsewhere are unable to return to Iran, and have received threats and targeted violence aimed at pressuring them to stop their work. 'In addition to enduring personal security threats from Iranian state actors operating beyond Iran's borders, BBC News Persian journalists are now witnessing a disturbing rise in the persecution of their family members inside Iran,' said Mr Davie. 'These acts are clearly designed to exploit family ties as a means of coercion – pressuring our journalists to abandon their work or return to Iran under false pretences.' 'This persecution is a direct assault on press freedom and human rights. It must end now.' The broadcaster said it was preparing a fresh complaint to the UN. Mr Baillie said there was a 'constant threat' to its journalists, in person and online. Family members of staff in the UK have been threatened verbally on the street. Journalists want to continue their work but are struggling with security concerns for themselves and their families. 'These are very committed people. You can see the effect it has on them,' he said. Met Police Commander Dominic Murphy of the Counter Terrorism Command said its investigations into the threats to Iran International had shown the impact on the Iranian community in the UK. 'We use our local policing contacts to reach into that community to provide both reassurance and a two-way communication so that we understand how concerned they are,' he said at a hearing last month with the Human Rights Joint Committee. Complaints to UN Tehran is yet to respond to the latest allegations from the BBC. The Iranian regime has previously denied threatening Iranian journalists abroad, accusing the broadcaster of spreading false information to encourage its overthrow. The Persian-language service has a weekly global audience of almost 22 million people, including around 13 million in Iran, where the service is banned. The BBC lodged complaints to the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 and in 2022. The UN Secretary General and special rapporteurs have previously raised concerns about Iran's treatment of BBC staff and warned that harassment, surveillance and death threats violated international human rights law. Eight months ago, MI5 chief Ken McCallum said the agency had responded to 20 Iran-backed plots in the UK. He warned that Iranian state actors 'make extensive use of criminals as proxies', from international drug smugglers to petty crooks. Two Romanian nationals were charged in December over the stabbing of Mr Zaatari.
