Latest news with #counterterrorism
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Perranporth teenager arrested on suspicion of terrorism bailed
Police have bailed a 16-year-old boy who was arrested on suspicion of terrorism Perranporth teenager was arrested on suspicion of dissemination of terrorist publications by counter terrorism officers, said Devon and Cornwall said the boy had been released on police bail pending further force said a "number of searches" were going on at addresses around Perranporth and Redruth in relation to the investigation.
Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Telegraph
Met Police ‘bravest officer' award winner suspended over alleged sexual assault
A policeman once named the bravest officer in England and Wales has been charged with sexual assault. Sgt Stephen Brown has been suspended by the Metropolitan Police following the alleged incident at Biggleswade railway station in Bedfordshire in November 2019. The 47-year-old, who is reportedly a counter-terrorist specialist firearms officer, will appear at St Albans Crown Court on Sept 1. In 2014, he won a national Police Bravery Award for tackling and disarming a man wielding a samurai sword in north London. Sgt Brown stepped in to stop the man on Christmas Eve 2012, who had stabbed a woman earlier that evening. The attacker repeatedly swung the sword at his face and neck. The Met officer discharged his CS spray into the man's face, before quickly moving towards him and striking his arm with a baton three times while the sword was raised in the air. The man was forced to drop his weapon, with Sgt Brown immediately jumping on top of him to restrain him. The offender continued to struggle violently before backup officers arrived and he was arrested. Officers later discovered the bag he was carrying contained an arsenal of weapons. Not guilty plea Sgt Brown was presented with the bravery award, which is given annually to officers who demonstrate acts of heroism in the course of their duty, by Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the then commissioner of the Met Police, at a ceremony in London. Theresa May, the then home secretary, said: 'The actions of Sgt Stephen Brown are a powerful reminder of the commitment and courage that police officers bring to their role. 'Sgt Brown put his own life in danger to defuse a terrifying situation. His intervention protected the public and may well have saved the lives of others.' Sgt Brown, from Bedfordshire, appeared at Stevenage magistrates' court in November, when he entered a plea of not guilty to sexual assault. A Met Police spokesman said: 'We are aware that a serving Met officer has been charged with sexual assault following an alleged incident in November 2019. 'He is currently suspended.'
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Saudi and Bahraini military chiefs discuss efforts to fight terrorism
RIYADH: During a meeting in Manama on Wednesday, the secretary-general of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Moghedi from Saudi Arabia, and the chief of staff of the Bahrain Defence Force, Lt. Gen. Theyab Al-Nuaimi, reviewed the coalition's recent work and achievements. In particular, they looked at its strategic initiatives and regional programs in various locations including the African Sahel region, the Saudi Press Agency reported. They discussed Saudi Arabia's flagship training program for specialized counterterrorism operatives in more than 27 member states, the funding mechanisms employed by those states to support the work of the coalition, and operational strategies for implementing its mission. Al-Moghedi and Al-Nuaimi emphasized the importance of joint action and stronger coordination among coalition member states, and the enhancement of capabilities in key operational areas, including: efforts to counter intellectual extremism; strategic media; tackling the financing of terrorism; and military operations. They reiterated a shared commitment to deeper cooperation, unified efforts, and enhanced coordination to combat terrorism.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Fans of Irish band Kneecap surround a London court as a band member faces a terror-related charge
LONDON — Fans of the Irish-language hip-hop group Kneecap mobbed sidewalks outside a London court Wednesday as a member of the trio faced a terror-related charge in what he says is a politically motivated effort to silence the band's support for Palestinians before its appearance at the Glastonbury Festival. Rapper Mo Chara, whose real name is Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, was released on unconditional bail after the hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 20. Chara is charged with one count of supporting a banned terrorist organization after he allegedly waved a Hezbollah flag during a Nov. 21 concert in north London. The case was filed after counterterrorism police were alerted to video of the incident posted online, London's Metropolitan Police Service said. Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove told the court that support for the Palestinians and criticism of Israel were not the reasons for the charge filed against Chara. 'He's well within his rights to voice his opinions and solidarity, as is anybody else,'' Bisgrove said. 'The allegation in this case is a wholly different thing and deals with a video recording showing that, in November of last year, Mr. O hAnnaidh wore and displayed the flag of Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organization, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah.''' Kneecap, which raps about drugs, working-class life and the reunification of Ireland, has supported the Palestinian cause throughout the war in Gaza. The band has been the center of controversy in Britain since last year, when the previous government sought to block an arts grant for the band, citing its anti-British politics. That decision was overturned after the Labour Party won last year's parliamentary election and Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office. The trio is scheduled to perform at Glastonbury on Saturday, alongside performers including Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo. The internationally watched music festival is a five-day event that attracts about 200,000 people to a farm outside the small town in western England every summer. As they entered the courthouse, the members of Kneecap, all of whom hail from Northern Ireland, gave the thumbs up sign to hundreds of supporters who had gathered outside waving signs reading: 'Free Mo Chara' and 'Defend Kneecap.' Before the hearing, the band posted billboards around London bearing the slogan 'More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara.' The message echoes the signs landlords placed in the windows of some London boarding houses in the 1950s, stating 'No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish.' 'British courts have long charged people from the North of Ireland with 'terrorism' for crimes never committed,' Kneecap said in a statement posted on social media. 'We will fight them. We will win.' Danica Kirka, The Associated Press
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Fans of Irish band Kneecap surround a London court as a band member faces a terror-related charge
LONDON (AP) — Fans of the Irish-language hip-hop group Kneecap mobbed sidewalks outside a London court Wednesday as a member of the trio faced a terror-related charge in what he says is a politically motivated effort to silence the band's support for Palestinians before its appearance at the Glastonbury Festival. Rapper Mo Chara, whose real name is Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, was released on unconditional bail after the hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 20. Chara is charged with one count of supporting a banned terrorist organization after he allegedly waved a Hezbollah flag during a Nov. 21 concert in north London. The case was filed after counterterrorism police were alerted to video of the incident posted online, London's Metropolitan Police Service said. Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove told the court that support for the Palestinians and criticism of Israel were not the reasons for the charge filed against Chara. 'He's well within his rights to voice his opinions and solidarity, as is anybody else,'' Bisgrove said. 'The allegation in this case is a wholly different thing and deals with a video recording showing that, in November of last year, Mr. O hAnnaidh wore and displayed the flag of Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organization, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah.''' Kneecap, which raps about drugs, working-class life and the reunification of Ireland, has supported the Palestinian cause throughout the war in Gaza. The band has been the center of controversy in Britain since last year, when the previous government sought to block an arts grant for the band, citing its anti-British politics. That decision was overturned after the Labour Party won last year's parliamentary election and Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office. The trio is scheduled to perform at Glastonbury on Saturday, alongside performers including Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo. The internationally watched music festival is a five-day event that attracts about 200,000 people to a farm outside the small town in western England every summer. As they entered the courthouse, the members of Kneecap, all of whom hail from Northern Ireland, gave the thumbs up sign to hundreds of supporters who had gathered outside waving signs reading: 'Free Mo Chara' and 'Defend Kneecap.' Before the hearing, the band posted billboards around London bearing the slogan 'More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara.' The message echoes the signs landlords placed in the windows of some London boarding houses in the 1950s, stating 'No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish.' 'British courts have long charged people from the North of Ireland with 'terrorism' for crimes never committed,' Kneecap said in a statement posted on social media. 'We will fight them. We will win.'
