A flight from London to the Canary Islands made an unscheduled landing in Portugal due to a disturbance caused by eight disorderly passengers. Witnesses reported that the men were drunk and causing distress to female passengers. Despite warnings from the pilot, chaos ensued and one passenger had to be arrested for resisting and disobedience.
A 62-year-old British national was found dead on Friday in the washroom of his hotel room at Palolem. This is the third such unnatural death case of a foreigner registered at Canacona police station since Dec 31. Cops said Andrew Mark Charlambides had been staying in Canacona for the past month. He was alone in his room at the time of his death. Police were informed about the death by the hotel owner.
British Asians have a higher proportion of antibiotic resistant infections compared to the white UK population due to antibiotic overuse in Asia. The transmission of resistant strains of tropical diseases is linked to international travel. Poor prescribing and inadequate treatment contribute to resistant strains of malaria, HIV, and TB.
The main rate of the immigration health cost for most people will go up from £624 per year to £1,035 per annum, a rise of 66%. If you're a student or under 18, the cost will go up from £470 per year to £776 per year, which is a 65% increase.
The Royal Navy reported that two British Royal Navy mine-hunter vessels collided in Bahrain Harbour. The incident occurred on Friday, with no reported injuries. An investigation into the collision has been initiated. The Royal Navy is collaborating with the US Navy in the Gulf region to safeguard Red Sea shipping from an increase in attacks by Houthi forces situated in Yemen.
Directed energy weapons, such as the DragonFire laser, have the potential to revolutionize the battlespace by reducing reliance on expensive ammunition. However, there are concerns about the long-term health impacts of exposure to directed energy weapons. The GAO in the US has noted that the military has been exploring various prototypes of directed energy weapons over the past decade.
Seven British parliamentarians, including MP Preet Gill, have requested an urgent meeting with security minister Tom Tugendhat regarding threat to life warnings given to British Sikhs. The warnings come amidst tensions between the Indian government, Sikh separatist activists, and the alleged extrajudicial killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
A man has been apprehended by British police in relation to the reported getaway of a terrorism suspect from a London prison in the previous year, a case that garnered widespread attention and triggered a countrywide search, authorities announced on Thursday. The individual in custody is linked to the escape of Daniel Khalife, a 21-year-old former British soldier facing charges related to terrorism and violations of the Official Secrets Act. According to prosecutors, Khalife managed to escape from Wandsworth prison in London in September of last year by securing himself to the undercarriage of a food delivery truck.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions estimates that 170,000 out of 220,000 public sector union workers will participate in the strike. The strike is a coordinated day of action and is expected to be the largest since Northern Ireland's founding in 1921. It will cause havoc to already crumbling public services, with schools closing and transport services halting.
British PM Rishi Sunak faces a test of his authority and his nerve on Wednesday as he tries to subdue a Conservative Party rebellion and win parliamentary approval for his stalled plan to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda. Lawmakers are due to vote on a bill that aims to overcome a UK Supreme Court block on the Rwanda plan, a day after some 60 members of Sunak's governing Conservatives rebelled in an effort to make the legislation tougher.
An annual survey of British Sikhs reveals that only 21% are "very proud" to have Rishi Sunak as PM, despite his Punjabi heritage. The survey also highlights concerns about the Hindu community benefiting more from Sunak's premiership than Sikhs. The 10th British Sikh Report provides statistical information about the needs of British Sikhs, including their voting intentions and financial struggles.
Kate, the Princess of Wales, has undergone a successful planned abdominal surgery, as announced by Kensington Palace on Wednesday. The statement revealed that she is expected to spend approximately 10 to 14 days in the London Clinic, a private hospital in central London, before returning home for recovery. The wife of Prince William, the heir to the throne, is anticipated to refrain from public duties until after Easter. The palace emphasized that Kate appreciates the interest in her health but hopes the public understands her desire to maintain normalcy for her children.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak successfully quelled a right-wing rebellion within his party on Tuesday regarding legislation on deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda. The victory, although not without consequences, led to the resignation of two of his staunchest supporters. Conservative Party deputy chairmen Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith stepped down due to their dissatisfaction with the government's reluctance to strengthen the legislation. This turn of events highlights the deep divisions within Sunak's governing party regarding the crucial legislation he believes will bolster the Conservatives' popularity ahead of an upcoming election later this year.
Several British Sikhs have received "threat to life" notices, known as Osman warnings, from the British police. This has fueled conspiracy theories that India could be behind the threats, given the court case against Nikhil Gupta in the US regarding an alleged plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. An Osman warning is a police warning of a death threat. It is used when there is intelligence of the threat but not enough evidence to justify an arrest.
According to SunLife, a UK insurance company, the expense of funerals has reached an unprecedented level. This surge in costs has prompted almost a quarter of the population to opt for direct cremations or burials without formal ceremonies. The report also points out that in the previous year, roughly 20% of individuals had to sell personal belongings to cover funeral expenses. Last year, the average "cost of dying" in the UK was around £9,658 ($12,296), showing a £458 increase from 2022 and setting a new record as reported by SunLife.
PM Rishi Sunak defends limited UK strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, alongside the US. Strikes aimed to degrade and disrupt rebels' ability to launch attacks. Keir Starmer supports strikes but demands government transparency. Liberal Democrats criticize government for ignoring democratic convention and lack of parliamentary vote. He said the aim was to "degrade and disrupt" the Houthis' ability to launch attacks. Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, said he supported last week's strikes, but expects more openness from the government in the future.
A Tunisian asylum-seeker has been detained indefinitely at Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital after killing and nearly beheading his 19-year-old British Indian student girlfriend, Sabita Thanwani, at her London university hall of residence. The Old Bailey heard that Maher Maaroufe (24) killed Thanwani on March 19, 2022 in her room at Arbour House, near City University, where she was an undergraduate student reading psychology, with a bright future ahead of her.
Britain will send 20,000 armed forces personnel to one of Nato's largest exercises since the Cold War, defence secretary Grant Shapps announced on Monday, expressing concern about growing threats to the Western-led alliance. Personnel from the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and Army will join forces with the same from 31 other member countries, as well as Sweden, a Nato applicant, during the military alliance's "Exercise Steadfast Defender". Addressing the joint UK-US operations against Iran-backed Huthi rebels last week, Shapps stated that the actions were intended "as a single action".
Failings by police and council bosses in northern England left girls at the mercy of paedophile grooming gangs for years, according to an independent review. The review highlights multiple failed investigations by Greater Manchester Police into the abuse in Rochdale, with insufficient resources and a lack of apprehension of abusers. The report vindicated two whistleblowers -- the coordinator of a crisis intervention team and detective Maggie Oliver. The review was commissioned following a documentary about the two whistleblowers.
The US and UK air strikes Thursday and Friday against sites in Yemen controlled by the Houthi militia damaged or destroyed about 90% of the targets struck, but the group retained about three-quarters of its ability to fire missiles and drones at ships transiting the Red Sea, two US officials said Saturday. The damage estimates are the first detailed assessments of the strikes by American and British attack planes and warships against nearly 30 locations in Yemen, and they reveal the serious challenges facing the Biden administration and its allies as they seek to deter the Iran-backed Houthis from retaliating.
