Defence secretary backs military chiefs in war crimes scandal
The defence secretary has said that he has 'confidence' in his senior officers and their ability to lead after they were embroiled in a war crimes scandal.
John Healey said that he 'absolutely' believed General Sir Roly Walker, the head of the army, and General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, about to become head of the navy, had integrity.
Both generals were named in a BBC Panorama investigation on Monday night, which claimed that members of Britain's special forces murdered innocent Afghans over more than a decade.
The documentary included claims that Jenkins oversaw the rejection of hundreds of UK resettlement applications from Afghan commandos who served alongside the Special Air Service (SAS) during the war.
The rejections were controversial because it is understood that some of
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BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
Petition questioning jail sentences for online posts hits target
A petition calling for an urgent review of sentencing after a woman was jailed for a racist social media post has hit its target of 100,000 signatures in under 24 Connolly, from Northampton, was jailed for 31 months in October after urging her followers on X to "set fire" to hotels housing asylum seekers on the day of the Southport UK MP Rupert Lowe's online petition said prison terms for cases of "opinion-based online speech" caused "serious public concern" and alternative sanctions would be more appeal was rejected in May, with the Court of Appeal ruling there was "no arguable basis" that her prison sentence was excessive. The 41-year-old childminder, the wife of a Conservative councillor, posted the swearword-ridden message on 29 July 2024, the day three girls were murdered at a dance class in calling for "mass deportations now", she wrote: "If that makes me racist, so be it."She urged readers to set fire to "all the hotels" that were "full" of those she wished to post had been deleted before Connolly was arrested on 6 August but had already been viewed 310,000 who represents Great Yarmouth as an Independent, said the jailing of Connolly was "morally repugnant" and his petition had the full support of her husband, Ray."Lucy, and others like her, should not be in prison for foolish things they posted on the internet," said Lowe in a post on X."It's all just so disgusting, and if I can use my elected position to do anything, it has to be worth a go." The petition says imprisoning individuals for posts on social media "sets a dangerous precedent and raises wider questions about freedom of expression, proportionality in sentencing, and the misuse of limited prison resources."The day after Connolly's appeal was rejected, Sir Keir Starmer said he was in favour of free speech and against inciting violence after Lowe used Prime Minister's Questions to ask if her jail term was an "efficient or fair" use of prison.A UK Government and Parliament petition that attains 100,000 signatures is assessed by the Petitions Committee for its level of support and whether the government could act on its demands. If approved for consideration, it is then debated in Westminster Hall. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Telegraph
32 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Labour must put energy security ahead of net zero ideology
British Government ministers appear to enjoy nothing quite so much as interfering with complex systems they don't entirely understand. Research commissioned by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has highlighted one set of clearly unintended consequences that could soon come about as a result of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's fanatical pursuit of his 2050 target. Interactions between high temperatures, solar panels, heat pumps and the transmission network may result in a greater likelihood of 'electricity shortfalls and loadshedding', a polite euphemism for controlled blackouts. The driving mechanisms are straightforward: heat pumps, soon to be mandatory in newbuilds, and highly incentivised in older properties, offer cooling capabilities that are likely to increase electricity demand during hot periods. At the same time, Britain's distributed renewables grid will be more exposed to degradation of performance due to these same high temperatures as solar panel efficiency falls and transmission networks are pushed to their limit as carrying capacities fall, increasing 'the likelihood of widespread blackouts'. It is a fascinating combination of incentives and outcomes, particularly for a department with 'energy security' in its title. It is also an excellent illustration of why we should be deeply sceptical of government schemes that seek to remake society on a grand scale: the choices to push certain approaches has created this pathway to instability. It is far from the only way in which net zero puts energy security at risk. There are the dark, windless winter days where neither solar nor wind provide significant inputs into Britain's grid, potentially leaving us reliant on backup power sources – an additional source of capital costs – or on interconnectors to European countries, which may also find their generating capacity limited. At the other end of the spectrum, a report into Spain's April blackouts has highlighted that particularly sunny days may drive prices negative, causing producers to switch off in a cascading failure. Britain does at least seem to have learnt this lesson ahead of time, taking steps to prevent a similar incident here. As the UK report has highlighted, however, it would be foolish to assume perfect foresight of future risks. It is surely time the Government put energy security ahead of net zero ideology.
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Instant karma! Shocking moment teen gang hurl chairs at restaurant waiters - before one of the attackers gets more than he bargained for
A teen was served instant karma as he was forced to quickly flee after hurling chairs at two restaurant workers as a 'gang of 30 teens' watched on. A shocking video has emerged online of a around 30 youngsters attacking a family restaurant in the seaside Kent town of Broadstairs. The 59-second clip shows a gaggle of yobs storming towards a Italian restaurant, Sardinia, as two staff members appear at the workplace's doorway. Another youth then pushes one of the men as tensions escalate with another teenager picking up a chair and launching it towards a glass pane. As another unidentified item is hurled through the air, the young man picks up a chair and throws it at a staff member, armed with a black chair. Seemingly working in tandem, a separate teen then slams a chair towards the same waiter standing in the doorway, as horrified customers watch on in horror. The previous yob circles back again, as both he and the workman hurl black chairs in each others direction. But karma came around quickly, as a separate staff member emerges from the restaurant and chases one of the teens down the road. Loud shouting could be heard from the group of unruly youngsters as the yob raced away from down the seaside street away from the restaurant worker. It is believed the group of teens were chasing another young person who had hid inside the family restaurant for safety. Restaurant manager, Tony, said four or five tables of guests were inside when the incident transpired. He told The Sun: 'They were trying to get to this boy who they already attacked to beat him again. 'We let him inside and shut the doors, but they attacked the staff and threw chairs. 'He was half their size, I don't know why they would want to do this - there were about 30 of them.' The restaurant boss also spoke of his dismay that the teen's parents had not been in touch following the attack. Another business in the town also had its window broken amid reports of street fights, underage drinking, and bottles being thrown at beach huts as well as thefts. A dispersal order was also issued by police throughout the town following a day of chaos in the town. The force also responded to reports from incidents in the town's train station. A spokesperson for Kent Police said: 'Kent Police is aware of incidents of anti-social behaviour in the Broadstairs area including under-age street drinking, fighting and reports of aggressive behaviour towards staff at shops and restaurants during the evening of Thursday 19 June 2025. 'Officers attended and three arrests were made on suspicion of offences relating to public order, assault and criminal damage. 'Two boys aged 16 and 17, and a 15-year old girl, all from Thanet, have since been released on bail pending further enquiries. 'Officers are currently investigating these incidents, and a dispersal order has been implemented due to ongoing concerns relating to issues caused by a small minority of young people in some public areas including the town centre and beaches. 'We fully understand that residents may be concerned about incidents of crime and disorder committed by the minority, however they should feel reassured that local officers will be on patrol in the area to provide a visible presence to prevent offences from occurring.' Dispersal orders give officers extra powers to stop and search individuals under Section 60 of the Public Order Act. It also give them the authority to move groups of people form an area.
