Latest news with #SO15
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Starmer firebombs linked to hostile state
Counter-terrorism police are investigating the possibility that a hostile state may have been behind the arson attacks against the Prime Minister. On Tuesday night, a 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of targeting two properties and a car linked to Sir Keir Starmer was questioned by specialist detectives from Scotland Yard's SO15 counter-terror command. Reflecting the seriousness with which police are treating the incident, the head of Counter Terrorism Command issued a rare statement urging any MPs who may be concerned to contact police. The suspect, whose nationality has not been disclosed, was detained in the early hours of Tuesday morning at an address in Sydenham, south east London, following a police operation. The property is around 12 miles away from the scene of three suspected fire bomb attacks in north London, which appear to have been aimed at Sir Keir. It emerged on Tuesday that the first suspected attack targeted a car previously owned by the Prime Minister, and that the second appeared to be aimed at a flat he owned in the 1990s. Sir Keir's family home, where his sister-in-law now lives, was targeted in the early hours of Monday morning. Police sources said they were keeping an open mind as to any motive behind the alleged attacks but have not ruled out that it could be linked to a hostile state or to terrorism, which could be far-Left, far-Right or Islamist. Detectives are also exploring whether the person responsible may be acting alone and have a personal grudge against the Prime Minister. Downing Street figures have also not ruled out the possibility that a hostile state may have been involved, but declined to comment on specifics while the investigation remained on-going. The fact that a car Sir Keir once owned and a flat he lived in many years ago were both targeted raised suspicions that a significant degree of planning and forethought had been involved. The distance between the scene of the attack and the arrest also suggests a level of preparation. One source said the indications were that the alleged plot showed a degree of 'sophistication'. Commander Dominic Murphy, who recently issued statements in the wake of the suspected Iranian terror plot against the Israeli embassy and after the sentencing of a Russian spy gang, said: 'We are working at pace and continue to explore various lines of enquiry to establish the cause of the fires, and any potential motivation for these. 'A key line of enquiry is whether the fires are linked, due to the two premises and the vehicle all having previous links to the same high-profile public figure. 'We recognise that this investigation may cause concern to other public figures, particularly MPs. 'The protection of MPs is something we take extremely seriously across the whole of policing and I would encourage any MP who is concerned about their own safety to get in touch with their dedicated local Operation Bridger officer, who can provide further advice and support.' Sir Keir was being kept up to date with developments but was said to be getting on with his job. It emerged on Tuesday that the first arson attack – which occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning – saw a Toyota Rav 4 previously owned by the Prime Minister set alight close to his family home in Tufnell Park, north London. Credit: Linda Perry It is believed he sold the car to a neighbour following his election win, but it had been owned by the Starmer family for some years prior to the election. In 2020, it was pictured in media reports after Sir Keir – who was leader of the opposition at the time – was involved in a minor collision with a Deliveroo worker. The car sustained a dent and a large scratch following the collision in Camden Town. Two days after the car fire, the front door of a flat, which Sir Keir and a former girlfriend bought jointly in 1991 but which they sold in 1997, was allegedly torched. His name appears on a Companies House register linked to the property, thought to relate to the ownership of the freehold. And in the early hours of Monday morning, the Starmers' family home in north London was targeted in a suspected firebomb attack. The Prime Minister and his family moved out of the four-bedroom property and into Downing Street following the general election. However, it emerged on Tuesday that it has since been rented out by Lady Starmer's sister for a peppercorn rent. While nobody was hurt in the incident, the front door and entrance area were badly damaged. Last year, Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, the head of UK counter terror, warned that the number of investigations involving hostile states, such as Russia and Iran, had quadrupled in recent years. The attack on Sir Keir's family home came on the day that a group of six Bulgarians living in the UK received lengthy jail sentences for being part of a spying operation on behalf of Moscow. Russia has also been linked to a number of arson attacks in Britain, including one on a Ukrainian-owned business in east London in which a warehouse was set alight. Meanwhile, four Iranian men arrested earlier this month on suspicion of a terror plot to attack the Israeli embassy in London remain in custody for questioning. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Middle East Eye
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK police handed dossier of war crimes committed by RSF in Sudan
A dossier of evidence documenting war crimes committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan has been handed to British police. A 142-page file was handed to the Metropolitan Police's war crimes unit, documenting killings, torture and sexual violence committed by the RSF during Sudan's ongoing civil war, the Guardian reported on Monday. It was compiled by a London-based group of lawyers with a specialism in international law and directed to SO15, the Met's counterterrorism unit. The RSF has been at war with the Sudanese army since April 2023. The conflict has killed thousands, displaced more than 10 million people and left over 12 million facing high levels of acute food insecurity. Last year an independent enquiry carried out by the Raoul Wallenberg Centre found that there is 'clear and convincing evidence' that the RSF and its allied militias 'have committed and are committing genocide against the Masalit', a Black African community. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters West Darfur state was the site of intense ethnic-based attacks by the RSF and its allied Arab militias against the Masalit in 2023. The United States has also accused the RSF of genocide, and sanctioned its leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo - widely known as Hemeti - for his role in "systematic atrocities". The dossier submitted to the Met police stated: 'Direct and circumstantial evidence makes it clear that the RSF leadership either knew, or at least should have known, that the war crimes were being committed by the RSF in Darfur. Therefore, they have a case to answer under international criminal and humanitarian law.' Howard Morrison, a former judge at the International Criminal Court, lent his support to the submission. 'A novel approach' 'The novel approach through the highly regarded offices of SO15 adds great impetus to the potential accountability of those responsible for the atrocities that have been visited upon numerous victims in Darfur,' Morrison said. Lucia Brieskova, the lead lawyer, said: "We believe this submission will contribute to the fight against impunity suffered by many in Darfur in Sudan." In the coming days, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will decide whether it has jurisdiction in a case brought by Sudan's government accusing the United Arab Emirates of complicity in genocide. Khartoum says that the UAE has violated the Genocide Convention through financial and military support of the RSF. The UAE denies aiding the paramilitary group, and believes that the ICJ does not have jurisdiction in the case due to the Gulf state's opting out of Article Nine of the Genocide Convention. Sudan's government accuses the RSF and allied militias of perpetrating genocide, murder, theft, rape and forcible displacement. A recent report by Amnesty International found that the RSF had inflicted widespread sexual violence on women and girls during the country's ongoing civil war, including rape, gang-rape, and sexual slavery. Middle East Eye has reported previously on how women across the Darfur region - some as young as 12 - have been the victims of sexual assault perpetrated by men wearing RSF uniforms. Last year, a report by the UN's independent international fact-finding mission for Sudan found that both warring parties had committed a range of war crimes.
Telegraph
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Heathrow crisis ‘is same as plot of Die Hard 2'
The Heathrow airport shutdown has similarities to the plot of Die Hard 2, according to social media users. The film, starring Bruce Willis as John McClane, revolves around a terrorist attack at Washington Dulles International airport. Col William Stuart, who is a former US Special Forces colonel, and his men cut all communications with incoming planes and disable all runway lights in an attempt to rescue a drug lord from being extradited to the United States. The move leaves planes circling the airport and running low on fuel, with Col Stuart's men deliberately forcing a British jet to crash land, killing everyone on board. However, following the substation fire near Heathrow, flights were diverted to airports across Europe rather than left circling the airport. At least 1,351 flights going to and from the airport are set to be affected by the closure, with up to 291,000 passengers thought to be affected. Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation into the cause of the fire, with specialist detectives on site at the North Hyde electrical substation in Hayes, west London. The officers – also known as SO15 – will play a key role in trying to establish whether or not any hostile agents were involved in triggering the blaze. In Die Hard 2, McClane is forced to enlist the help of an airport cleaner to fight back against the terrorists and prevent a flight with his wife on board from crashing. One user on X said: 'Anybody else see the parallels between one sub station taking out Heathrow airport and the storyline in Die Hard 2 where one power cable took out the electricity to a whole airport? Where is John McClane today when you need him?' Another commented: 'No remote backup generators… What we can conclude is that no-one from Heathrow has ever seen Die Hard 2...' A third added: 'Sat here thinking did the infrastructure team at Heathrow not learn from Die Hard 2?!' In the film, McClane eventually defeats the terrorists and is reunited with his wife Holly after her plane lands safely on the runway guided by flames from McClane's previous battle. The disruption at Heathrow on Friday was also likened to the disruption caused to air traffic in the aftermath of the Sept 11 terror attacks. In a post on X this morning, Sir Keir Starmer said he was 'receiving regular updates' on the situation as he thanked emergency services. A Heathrow airport spokesman said the site will be 'safely able to begin some flights later [on Friday]'.
