
Hate cleric Anjem Choudary FAILS in first bid to have terror conviction and 28-year jail term quashed
HATEMONGER Anjem Choudary has failed in his first attempt to have his terror conviction and 28-year jail term quashed.
But the extremist preacher, 58, is continuing his taxpayer-funded fight by battling on for a full court hearing.
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Anjem Choudary has failed in his first attempt to have his terror conviction and 28-year jail term quashed
Credit: PA
The Criminal Appeal Office said: 'The single judge refused both applications but they have been renewed to go before the full court.'
He now has one last chance to have his appeal considered.
But the decision not to end the process has shocked some experts.
Prof Anthony Glees, from the University of Buckingham, said: 'Choudary clearly remains a highly dangerous terrorist and radicaliser who is now trying to make a monkey of English justice with his latest appeal.
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'What the British public see here looks like an unending desire to pander to him, every time he raises a complaint.
"This has got to stop.
'Our courts need to say to tell him 'we're done'.
"Choudary has exploited Islamist separation units, most recently to mentor vile Abedi, they are clearly no longer fit for purpose.'
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RTÉ News
20 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
An Garda Síochána facing legal action over Denis Donaldson investigation
A policing oversight body is taking legal action against An Garda Síochána over its failure to comply with an investigation into the murder of British agent Denis Donaldson in Co Donegal almost 20 years ago. Fiosrú, which replaced the Garda Síochána Ombudsman's Commission (GSOC), has informed the Donaldson family of the move. In a letter it said it took the view that gardaí had not complied with a request for information required for its investigation. Accordingly, it said the ombudsman had decided to commence proceedings in Dublin Circuit Civil Court seeking an order for disclosure, adding that the case was in its early stages. Both Fiosrú and An Garda Síochána declined to comment. An Garda Síochána said it did not comment on Fiosrú matters. The Donaldson's family solicitor, Enda McGarrity, said the Fiosrú investigation had been ongoing for three years. "We now understand that Fiosrú are commencing legal proceedings against An Garda Síochána arising out of a failure to comply with aspects of the investigation. "That's a matter of significant concern to the family because the body which is charged with investigating the murder of Denis Donaldson are now not only being investigated, but failing to comply with investigation and that gives rise to family's wider concern that the State are currently not delivering an effective investigation." Taoiseach Micheál Martin said on Friday that he would be happy to meet the Donaldson family to discuss their concerns. Denis Donaldson was a senior Sinn Féin official working at Stormont who had been accused of being part of a republican spy-ring there. He was exposed as a long-standing British agent when the criminal case against him and others was discontinued in December 2005. He was shot dead in the family's remote cottage near Glenties in April 2006, weeks after he had been photographed and spoken to there by a newspaper journalist. Three years ago Mr Donaldson's daughter, Jane, complained to GSOC raising concerns about how the gardaí had responded to information about the threat to her father's life. She claimed that despite being told by the PSNI of an increased risk to Mr Donaldson's life after he was approached by the media, it failed to take adequate measures to protect him. Dissident republicans claimed the murder, but the family say it has an "open mind" about who was responsible. Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams successfully sued the BBC after it broadcast a documentary claiming he had sanctioned the shooting. He had vehemently denied the accusation. An inquest into the circumstances of Mr Donaldson's murder has been adjourned on 27 occasions due to the ongoing garda murder investigation. The family is also keen to have their father's journal returned. Gardaí have declined to return it, despite earlier assurances that it would be handed back. The family believes it may cast light on the lead up to Mr Donaldson's murder. They would like the Irish Government to establish a commission of investigation which can take evidence in both open and closed hearings. They believe it is the best way to get to the truth of what happened. An investigation by Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman found the PSNI had failed to carry out a formal updated risk assessment on Mr Donaldson after he was visited by the media. The family is taking a civil action against the police and others on the basis of that report.


Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
I visited hotspot where two tourists died – what I saw on 7am run horrified me
I recently returned from a family getaway in the stunning coastal resort of Albufeira – and it lived up to expectation. The beaches were sandy, the weather was (mostly) glorious and the scenery was spectacular. However, despite having a memorable break and making it back safely, this was not the case for everyone. While I was there, two British tourists tragically lost their lives in a place some now consider just to be a nocturnal party town. Greg Monks, 38, from Glasgow, was found in a ravine in Albufeira. He was on a stag do when he left a party early before reportedly encountering trouble when jumping a wall on his way back to his hotel, reports The Mirror. A 21-year-old man was later found at the foot of a set of steps in Albufeira's picturesque old town in what is believed to have been a drunken fall. The deaths brought the popular Algarve resort into the spotlight, with some publications subsequently reporting on the 'darker' side of Albufeira that has supposedly become a "boozy bolthole" for wild behaviour. And while my time there passed pleasantly with my partner, Ciara, and our daughter, one observation of anti-social behaviour did stay with me. Having a toddler, early starts are inescapable, and during some sunrises, I went for runs throughout Albufeira. During one exercise excursion, I reached the mile-long neon-lit "strip", which has reportedly been nicknamed 'The Chaos' by locals. I had already been there during the day time. While the atmosphere was raucous even then, it was relatively harmless, with people simply out having a good time, while clearly consuming lots and lots of booze. But being there at 7am, it was an entirely different story. The street was completely covered in litter. It looked like a dumping ground. In a street full of late night bars and clubs filled with tourists thirsty for fun, I didn't expect it to be spotless. But the sheer amount of rubbish scattered absolutely everywhere, including bottles, glasses and takeaway food, was excessive. Some party folk were still staggering around having not yet been to bed, and while busy binmen loaded litter into a truck or deployed leafblowers to gather rubbish, one tourist was throwing up on the street. It was a miserable-looking scene, with my eyes being drawn to one old lady who was carefully trying to navigate the cobbles without tripping up. Another man, clearly incredibly drunk, was attempting to walk forward, but his body was inadvertently moving backwards instead. The sight to behold reminded me of a conversation I once had with Michelle Baker, a Brit who has lived in Benidorm for 40 years, for a story. Speaking about walking along the famous party strip in the Spanish holiday hotspot for an early-morning stroll, she told me: "It really is a no man's land and I try to avoid that street like the plague. The bins have fallen and they probably have been sick in the bins as well, it is just a nasty nasty street. "In some parts of the strip the smell of vomit is quite offensive in the morning." Seeing the strip in the Algarve during an early-morning run reminded me of her words, and it also made me think of the comparison with Benidorm. Some locals now believe Benidorm authorities tackling drunk behaviour has led to party-hungry tourists seeking other destinations instead, like the Algarve. Paul Surphlis, a Brit from Newcastle who has a business by the strip, told The Sun: "Since Spain cracked down on tourism and said they did not want Brits there, Albufeira is now getting that Benidorm crowd. They want to behave as outrageously as they did in Spain, but it won't be tolerated here." Another local told YouTuber Wendall that Albufeira was gaining a worse reputation than Benidorm because it attracted a younger crowd with less discipline. Drug use and public nudity is reportedly on the rise in the Portuguese family favourite destination too. Wendall himself summarised in his YouTube video: "I thought it would be a relaxing few days in the sun but this ain't my type of holiday... this is my idea of holiday hell." But he added: "If you want to let your hair down and go wild, like Brits abroad, then this is the place." From my own experience, I didn't necessarily agree with Wendall, especially because Albufeira had much to offer for families (boat trips and dolphin-watching being some examples) – far removed from the boozy shenanigans of youngsters. However, despite my opinions, one British tourist, Doreen Burywood, told the Daily Mail: "We used to go every year, loved the place, but stopped when the hen and stag parties started arriving - such a shame." Towards the end of my holiday, I found myself on another run, and once again I encountered the strip early one morning. This time, the scene was even filthier, with the hard-working binmen having not yet had a chance to reach all the junk. And while I'm sure most of the revellers had a good time in the early hours, I did feel sympathy for the workers who had to once again clean up their mess. Despite this, there have been crackdowns by Albufeira City Council to combat anti-social behaviour by rowdy tourists. This includes a stricter dress code where bikinis and swimsuits on city streets are forbidden with rulebreakers facing fines of €1,800 - if the legislation is passed at the end of this month. Spitting, vomiting or urinating in the street could also result in fines of up to €740. The Mirror reached out to Albufeira City Council regarding claims made in this story.


The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside Europe's ‘cocaine capital' where gangsters bomb cafes & gun down CHILDREN in terrifying wave of drug violence
ONCE famous for its diamonds and cobbled charm, this picturesque port city is now better known for something far more sinister. Welcome to Europe's cocaine capital, where gangland feuds erupt in drive-by 14 Belgian customs officers search for drugs in a container at Antwerp's port Credit: AFP 14 A Belgian Malinois dog of a customs K9 unit inspects crates Credit: AFP 14 Drug gangs have turned the city into a hotbed of violence Antwerp, a North Sea city of 530,000, has become the main gateway for cocaine flooding into In 2023 alone, Belgian authorities seized a staggering 116 tons of it – more than the entire haul of the The And as No one is safe from the bloodshed, with drug-related violence reaching a record high last year, and even top government officials forced into hiding. One man who knows this terror all too well is war photographer Dr Teun Voeten, who tells The Sun how a grenade "exploded on my street [while] I was sleeping". Such attacks in certain areas of the city have become so common that a snack was even invented called "Antwerp grenades", as people were "getting a little bit used to" the explosions. Dr Voeten explains: "You have a lot of these small-time attacks in Antwerp. "We have a lot of symbolic violence - so people put a hand grenade on someone's door, they shoot at someone's house, they make self-improvised explosive devices. "But this is basically a sign or a warning of 'listen, you did something wrong, and we know where you live' or 'don't f*** with us.'" York's Hidden Crisis: County Lines, Gangs, and the Fight for the City's Youth Dr Voeten, an author of multiple books on Belgium's drug scene, says it is clear just how much cocaine is entering Antwerp solely from the kilo price. He said: "Obviously a lot of cocaine is still coming in because the kilo price has been dropping steadily. "Kilo price used to be €25,000 - right now it's dropped to €15,000 - which means there is a whole lot of cocaine flooding in which is not intercepted." The scale is jaw-dropping. According to EU drug monitors, Antwerp leads Europe in cocaine use and Dr Voeten says organised crime has become a lot more "brazen". People put a hand grenade on someone's door, they they shoot at someone's house, they make self-improvised explosive devices Teun Voeten Antwerp drug expert He added: "There have been a couple of attacks at Port Central Custom Centers, where they kept cocaine. "They came there to rob the customs, which is basically a direct confrontation with the authorities, and that was never the case. "So it's it's diversifying. It's getting more complicated. Crime is getting more brazen." 14 Tonnes of cocaine were seized by customs officers in 2022 14 Eleven-year-old girl Firdaous was tragically caught in the cross-fire of the drug gangs 14 A hitman who gunned down an Albanian national was seen on camera 14 Robert Pătrăncuş from the European Union Drugs Agency explained how the criminal methods are growing more sophisticated. He described 'pin code fraud' as one of the most common tactics previously used by traffickers in Antwerp — gaining digital access to containers via inside help. The scientific analyst told The Sun: "One of the most common modus operandi was known as pin code fraud. "Criminals had to be infiltrated in the seaport, otherwise it was not possible to commit these crimes." But he says new measures, like the Certified Pickup System, rolled out in early 2024, now require digital verification to access any cargo. "Only people that are digitally verified can actually access the container," he said. Street slaughter No incident more chillingly illustrates how Antwerp's streets have become a battleground than the tragic slaughter of schoolgirl Firdaous El J. In January 2023, the 11-year-old was killed after being caught in the crossfire of a suspected drugs feud. The previous year, an Across the Dutch border, Inside, cops discovered scalpels, claw hammers, 'It's triple-isolated. Even if you're standing next to it, you'll hear nothing,' bragged one gang member in an encrypted message shown in court. Cocaine 'recuperators' Dr Voeten said there are a "special brand of young people" that, in English, are called "recuperators". These young criminals head to the port to try to get cocaine out of the shipping containers. Drawing comparison with Holland, which Dr Voeten has dubbed "the biggest narco state in Europe" and "a paradise for crime groups," he said that sentencing recuperators is a lot stricter in Belgium. 14 A sound proofed torture chamber was discovered by authorities a few years ago Credit: Reuters 14 Torture is often used as a threat among rival gangs operating in and around Antwerp 14 Belgian police used explosive to break into a container being used as a torture chamber Dr Voeten explained: "If you do that in Holland you get a fine, but in Belgium, you're slapped with a three, four, five year prison sentence. "So they're way much more strict in Belgium." However, traffickers are adapting fast. According to Pătrăncuş, many are now shifting operations to secondary ports across Europe to avoid Antwerp's beefed-up security. Others use "drop-off systems", throwing cocaine overboard at sea before reaching port to be picked up by accomplices later. 'It's a waterbed effect,' he said. 'When you push down in one place, it pops up in another.' Belgium's deputy prime minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, previously opened up to The Sun on the chilling impact of 'narco terrorism'. The justice minister has twice been forced into hiding with his family after kidnappers parked a car full of guns and handcuffs near his home. There's blood on the hands of the users, and on their noses Belgium's deputy prime minister Customs officer 'They had plans to kidnap me. We had to stay in a safe house for a week.' Despite record-breaking busts, customs officials are overwhelmed. 'At the moment, we are trying to burn the seized drugs as quickly as possible,' customs officer Bart Torrekens told the But with limited incinerators, piles of cocaine are literally stacking up – earning the nickname 'Cocaine-berg'. And smuggling techniques are getting even more elusive even before cocaine reaches Belgian waters. Pătrăncuş warned about chemical concealment, where cocaine is hidden in textiles or charcoal, bonded at the molecular level. He explained: 'Unless you have the information, the rapid test goes negative.' 'They install what we call a chemical lock. If we don't know how it was hidden, we don't know how to get it back.' The EUDA has tracked Latin American chemists flying into Eirope to retrieve cocaine from concealed shipments. The trend has also led to the rise of new cocaine laboratories across Europe, not just to dilute the drug, but to extract it and convert raw paste into pure powder. 'We see much more cocaine produced in Europe,' Pătrăncuş added. 'It may make more sense financially to produce the final product here.' Cracking down However, authorities are determined to fight back. In January 2024, But the cartels keep coming. 'There's no sign that a single arrest does anything to interrupt the flow of drugs,' said Mitchell Prothero, host of the podcast Gateway: Cocaine, Murder, & Dirty Money in Europe. 'There's always another cartel operation ready to step in.' Cocaine ports around the world AS well as Antwerp, several ports across the globe work as criminal gateways to major cocaine shipments. Here are some of them: Buenaventura, Colombia : Colombia's busiest Pacific port, Buenaventura, is a key origin point for cocaine shipments to the US and Europe — often controlled by criminal groups and plagued by violence and corruption. Manzanillo, Mexico : Manzanillo, Mexico's largest Pacific port, serves as a major node for cocaine trafficking and precursor chemicals. It is dominated by the infamous Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and sanctioned by the US treasury. Santos, Brazil: Santos - Latin America's busiest container port after Colón (Panama) - is a major export hub for cocaine bound for Europe and West Africa. Rotterdam, Netherlands : Europe's largest port and a key gateway for cocaine. Smugglers exploit container traffic, and Dutch customs even deploy dividing teams for underwater searches. Algeciras, Spain: Links to Latin America make Algeciras a growing cocaine entry point to Europe. Spain's ports are increasingly the locus of high-value seizures. Miami, United States: The epicenter of the US cocaine trade in the 1970s–80s, Miami (and broader Florida) still records the nation's highest cocaine seizure rates and remains a key distribution hub. Deputy PM Van Quickenborne has pledged £60million for new scanners and staff to hunt down drugs in high-risk containers. But he knows he's up against billion-euro syndicates with global tentacles. 'Experts say if we raise [the seizure rate] to 20 per cent we will be able to breach the Until then, Antwerp's partygoers and British weekenders keep the market alive. 'Britons should know their drug use isn't without consequence,' the minister said. 'There's blood on the hands of the users, and on their noses.' 14 Drugs are often hidden in innocuous packaging and even disguised as bananas Credit: Paul Edwards 14 Officers can scan lorries for drugs with hi-tech thermal cameras 14 A vehicle of the customs pictured at the Antwerp harbor Credit: AFP 14 War photographer and author of multiple books on Belgium's drug scene Dr Teun Voeten spoke to The Sun Credit: Paul Edwards