Trial opens into UK stabbing spree that sparked riots over misinformation attacker was Muslim

Trial opens into UK stabbing spree that sparked riots over misinformation attacker was Muslim
A mother hugs her child as they look at floral tributes for the victims of a deadly knife attack in Southport, northwest England, on July 31, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 20 January 2025
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Trial opens into UK stabbing spree that sparked riots over misinformation attacker was Muslim

Trial opens into UK stabbing spree that sparked riots over misinformation attacker was Muslim
  • Authorities blame far-right agitators for violence, including by sharing misinformation alleged attacker was Muslim asylum seeker
  • Unrest, which lasted several days, saw far-right rioters attack police, shops, hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques

LONDON: The trial of a teenager accused of killing three young girls in a stabbing spree last year that sparked the UK’s most violent riots in a decade is set to begin Monday.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, is due to stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court, accused of murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last year in Southport, northwest England.

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were killed in the attack in the seaside resort near Liverpool on July 29, 2024.

Ten others were injured, including eight children, in one of the country’s worst mass stabbings in years.

Rudakubana faces a total of 16 charges, including three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and one count of possessing a blade days after the attack.

The trial is expected to last four weeks after pleas of not guilty were entered on his behalf.

The stabbings sent shock waves across the UK, triggering unrest and riots in more than a dozen English and Northern Irish towns and cities, including in Southport and Liverpool.

Authorities blamed far-right agitators for fueling violence, including by sharing misinformation claiming the alleged attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.

The unrest, which lasted several days, saw far-right rioters attack police, shops, hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques, with hundreds of participants subsequently arrested and charged.

Rudakubana was born in Wales to parents of Rwandan origin and lived in Banks, a village northeast of Southport.

Despite being 17 years old at the time, restrictions on reporting Rudakubana’s name were lifted in August due to concerns over the spread of misinformation.

“Continuing to prevent the full reporting has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation, in a vacuum,” judge Andrew Menary said as he lifted the restrictions.

Taylor Swift, then in the middle of her Eras tour, wrote on Instagram that she “was completely in shock” the day after the attack on the dance class at the start of the school holidays.

The pop star reportedly met two of the survivors of the attack during her August shows in London.

The UK’s head of state King Charles III also traveled to Southport in August to meet with survivors, inspecting a sea of floral tributes laid outside the city’s town hall.

And Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Prince William visited Southport in October “to show support to the local community,” Kensington Palace said. It was their first joint public engagement since Kate ended a course of chemotherapy for cancer.

In October, the suspect was charged with two additional offenses in relation to evidence obtained “during searches of Axel Rudakubana’s home address” following the attack, the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS), which brings public prosecutions, said.

The charges were for the “production of a biological toxin, namely ricin,” and “possessing information ... likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.”

The terrorism offense related to suspicion of possessing an Al-Qaeda training manual, although the attack was not treated as a terrorist incident.

Following speculation on social media related to policing decisions in the case, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said she realized the added charges could trigger fresh rumors.

“We would strongly advise caution against anyone speculating as to motivation in this case,” Kennedy was quoted as saying.

She urged people to be patient and “don’t believe everything you read on social media.”

Rudakubana has appeared in several hearings since the attack, often wearing a grey sweatshirt, and refusing to speak in all of them.

In the last hearing in December, he appeared via videolink at Liverpool Crown Court from high-security Belmarsh prison, in southeast London.

The Attorney General and Merseyside police have warned the press and public against publishing any material that risks prejudicing the trial.


Putin says he and Trump reached an ‘understanding,’ but neither offers details on Ukraine war talks

Putin says he and Trump reached an ‘understanding,’ but neither offers details on Ukraine war talks
Updated 6 sec ago
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Putin says he and Trump reached an ‘understanding,’ but neither offers details on Ukraine war talks

Putin says he and Trump reached an ‘understanding,’ but neither offers details on Ukraine war talks

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska: President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin said they reached an understanding on ending the war in Ukraine after meeting for about 2 1/2 hours on Friday in Alaska, but offered no details on what they agreed and left without answering questions.

In brief remarks, Putin said the pair had hammered out an “understanding” on Ukraine and warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress.”

Speaking moments later, Trump said he’d yet to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but that he’d be speaking to him and European leaders soon. He suggested there hasn’t been a deal yet.

The two leaders met for about 2 1/2 half hours on Friday at a summit in Alaska that started with a handshake, a smile and a ride in the presidential limousine — an unusually warm reception for a US adversary responsible for launching the largest land war in Europe since 1945.

When they greeted each other, they gripped hands for an extended period of time on a red carpet rolled out at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead.

Reporters nearby yelled, “President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?” and Russia’s leader put his hand up to his ear as though to indicate he couldn’t hear them. Trump and Putin then shared the US presidential limo known as “The Beast” for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as the vehicle rolled past the cameras.

It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness before hours of closed-door meetings is likely to raise concerns from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, who fear that Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine’s.

Zelensky and European leaders were excluded from Trump and Putin’s discussions, and Ukraine’s president was left posting a video address in which he expressed his hope for a “strong position from the US”

“Everyone wants an honest end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to end the war,” he said, later adding, “The war continues and it continues precisely because there is no order, nor any signals from Moscow, that it is preparing to end this war.”

The summit was a chance for Trump to prove he’s a master dealmaker and peacemaker. He likes to brag about himself as a heavyweight negotiator and has boasted that he could easily find a way to bring the slaughter to a close — a promise he’s been unable to keep so far.

For Putin, it was an opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia’s gains, block Kyiv’s bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow’s orbit.

Not meeting one-on-one anymore

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said shortly before Air Force One touched down that the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin was now a three-on-three discussion including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov.

The change seemed to indicate that the White House was taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, where Trump and Putin met privately with their interpreters and Trump then shocked the world by siding with the Russian leader over US intelligence officials on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign.

The two leaders began their meeting Friday by sitting with their aides in front of a blue backdrop printed with “Alaska” and “Pursuing Peace.” The pair are expected to hold a joint press conference at the end of the summit.

There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto US soil — America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for roughly 2 cents per acre — the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago.

Zelensky’s exclusion is also a heavy blow to the West’s policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want.

Any success is far from assured, meanwhile, since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraine’s mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.

Trump said earlier in the week there was a 25 percent chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelensky to Alaska for a subsequent meeting with himself and Putin. He said during an interview on Air Force One that he might walk out quickly if the meeting wasn’t going well, but that didn’t happen.

Trump said before arriving in Alaska that he would push for an immediate ceasefire while expressing doubts about the possibility of achieving one. He has also suggested working for a broad peace deal to be done quickly. Russia has long favored a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, and not a temporary halt to hostilities.

Trump has offered shifting explanations for his meeting goals

Trump previously characterized the sit-down as ” really a feel-out meeting.” But he’s also warned of “very severe consequences” for Russia if Putin doesn’t agree to end the war.

Trump said his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal, and that Ukraine has to decide on those — but he also suggested Zelensky should accept concessions.

“I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think they’ll make a proper decision,” Trump told reporters traveling with him to Anchorage.

Trump said there’s “a possibility” of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, “but not in the form of NATO.” Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic security alliance, a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West.

Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, is also in Alaska to provide “military advice” to Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a senior NATO military official who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Grynkewich’s presence is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have tried to convince Trump to be firm with Putin and not deal over Kyiv’s head.

War still raging

Foreign governments are watching closely to see how Trump reacts to Putin, likely gauging what the interaction might mean for their own dealings with the US president, who has eschewed traditional diplomacy for his own transactional approach to relationships.

The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russia’s much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line.

Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles (less than 5 kilometers) and the international date line.

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into US airspace.

 


Microsoft launches probe after Israeli mass surveillance claims

Microsoft launches probe after Israeli mass surveillance claims
Updated 15 August 2025
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Microsoft launches probe after Israeli mass surveillance claims

Microsoft launches probe after Israeli mass surveillance claims
  • Investigation alleges that spy agency recorded ‘millions of calls an hour’ from Palestinians
  • Executives reportedly fear Israeli staff may have concealed truth about Azure storage operation

LONDON: Microsoft has opened an external investigation into allegations that a top Israeli military intelligence unit used its cloud technology to carry out mass surveillance of Palestinians.

The probe follows a joint report by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call.

According to the report, Israel’s Unit 8200 spy agency, the rough equivalent of the US National Security Agency, used Microsoft’s Azure cloud service to store a vast archive of phone calls intercepted and recorded from Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

The joint media report also revealed extensive ties between Microsoft’s Israel office and the spy unit — a finding that prompted alarm among the tech giant’s US executives who feared that Israel-based employees might have concealed information about the nature of their work with Unit 8200.

Microsoft’s Israel office, as part of its work with the unit, created a custom, segregated suite within the Azure platform in order to store the archive of intercepted phone calls.

Unit 8200 chiefs aimed to use the surveillance project to record “millions of calls per hour” across the Palestinian territories.

In a statement, Microsoft said “using Azure for the storage of data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank” would be prohibited under its terms of service.

The tech giant appointed lawyers from US firm Covington & Burling to oversee the inquiry.

It is the second external probe initiated by Microsoft in relation to its ties with the Israeli military.

The first, conducted earlier this year, found “no evidence to date” that the Israel Defense Forces had broken Microsoft’s terms of service or used the Azure cloud service “to target or harm people” in Gaza.

However, the latest investigation will expand on the previous one, with Microsoft agreeing “that The Guardian’s recent report raises additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review.”

Pressure is also mounting within Microsoft through an employee-led campaign group, No Azure for Apartheid.

The group, which is accusing the tech giant of “complicity in genocide and apartheid,” has called for Microsoft to cut all ties with the Israeli military.

Sources within Microsoft told The Guardian that the company’s leadership was scrambling to assess Azure data.

They are reportedly concerned about information revealed by Unit 8200 sources for the joint media report, which alleged that the data was used to identify targets for strikes in Gaza.

Microsoft pledged to “share with the public the factual findings that result from” the external review, a statement said.


UK rights watchdog warns police to avoid ‘heavy-handed’ policing of Gaza protests

UK rights watchdog warns police to avoid ‘heavy-handed’ policing of Gaza protests
Updated 15 August 2025
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UK rights watchdog warns police to avoid ‘heavy-handed’ policing of Gaza protests

UK rights watchdog warns police to avoid ‘heavy-handed’ policing of Gaza protests
  • Intervention follows reports of individuals facing police action at recent demonstrations despite not expressing support for any banned organizations

LONDON: Britain’s human rights watchdog has urged ministers and police chiefs to avoid “heavy-handed” tactics when policing demonstrations over the war in Gaza, saying that such actions risk creating a “chilling effect” on the right to protest, it was reported on Friday.

In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, the Equality and Human Rights Commission chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner said the “right to protest is a cornerstone of any healthy democracy” and any interference “must be lawful and assessed case by case.”

Her intervention follows reports of individuals facing police action at recent demonstrations despite not expressing support for any banned organizations.

The EHRC cited the case of Laura Murton, who in July was threatened with arrest under the Terrorism Act by Kent Police in July for holding a Palestinian flag and signs reading “Free Gaza” and “Israel is committing genocide” during a demonstration in Canterbury.

Murton told officers she did not support any proscribed groups but was reportedly warned that her actions were linked to Palestine Action — which in July was banned by the government.

Membership of or support for the group is a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act, carrying a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

“Heavy-handed policing or blanket approaches risk creating a chilling effect, deterring citizens from exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly through fear of possible consequences,” Falkner said.

“This concern extends beyond those directly affected by police engagement to the broader health of our democracy, because the perception that peaceful protest may attract disproportionate police attention undermines confidence in our human rights protections,” she added.

She called on the UK government and police to ensure “all officers receive clear and consistent guidance on their human rights obligations” so that “the appropriate balance is maintained between public safety and the protection of essential human rights.”

In a separate statement, she said that the right to peaceful protest was fundamental to British democracy and must be protected even when dealing with complex and sensitive issues.

“We recognize the genuine challenges the police face in maintaining public safety, but we are concerned that some recent responses may not strike the right balance between security and fundamental rights,” she said.

“Our role as the national human rights institution is to uphold the laws that safeguard everyone’s right to fairness, dignity and respect. When we see reports of people being questioned or prevented from peaceful protests that don’t support proscribed organisations, we have a duty to speak out,” she added.

Last weekend, more than 500 people were arrested in London, most on suspicion of displaying items deemed supportive of Palestine Action. Police figures indicate that half of those detained were aged 60 or older.

Downing Street has described Palestine Action as “a violent organisation that has committed violence, significant injury, extensive criminal damage,” citing evidence and security assessments presented in closed court. The group has rejected the claims as “false and defamatory,” saying they were contradicted by the government’s own intelligence.

Meanwhile, campaigners including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Quakers in Britain have urged Attorney General Richard Hermer to delay prosecution decisions for those arrested until after a High Court challenge to Palestine Action’s proscription, set for November.

They argued that moving ahead before the court’s ruling “raises significant legal and moral questions” and that delaying action “would demonstrate restraint, fairness and respect for the ongoing legal process.”

Murton’s lawyers have also issued a letter of claim to Kent Police over her case, which they said was intended to remind forces across the country of their obligations to protect peaceful protest.


Italian authorities try to identify Lampedusa capsize victims

Italian authorities try to identify Lampedusa capsize victims
Updated 15 August 2025
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Italian authorities try to identify Lampedusa capsize victims

Italian authorities try to identify Lampedusa capsize victims
  • At least 27 people died when two crowded boats sank off the Mediterranean island

LAMPEDUSA, Italy: Italian authorities on Friday were trying to identify the bodies of 27 people who died when two crowded boats sank off the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa.

One wooden coffin, marked with an “X,” could be seen at the local cemetery, where the bodies of some of the victims were being held, an AFP journalist said.

Broadcaster Rai reported that some of the coffins would be transported to Sicily for burial in several cemeteries there.

Lampedusa, just 90 miles (145 kilometers) off the coast of Tunisia, is often the first point of arrival for people trying to reach Europe in fragile or overcrowded boats.

Its reception center is currently home to 317 people, including about 70 mostly unaccompanied minors, said Giovanna Stabile of the Italian Red Cross, which runs the facility.

Most of them come from Egypt, Somalia and Bangladesh, she added.

Of the 60 survivors of Wednesday’s capsizing disaster, 58 were at the center. The two others were airlifted by helicopter to Sicily for treatment, she said.

“Last night, the procedures for identifying the bodies began,” said Stabile.

“This was a delicate moment, which was supported by the psychologist, the linguistic-cultural mediator and the multidisciplinary team,” she said.

“People reacted to the identification in a very composed manner.”

For some, however, it was too much.

One Somali teenager, in tears, identified a girl, his cousin, among the dead. “It can’t be! It can’t be!” he kept repeating, ANSA news agency reported.

The 27 victims, including three minors, died when two crowded boats heading from Libya capsized about 20 kilometers off Lampedusa.

The UN refugee agency said the boats were carrying at least 95 people. Italian news agency ANSA said 100 to 110 people may have been on board, meaning up to 23 could still be unaccounted for.

On Thursday, the Italian coast guard published a video of the rescue operation, showing young men desperately trying to cling to a floating rescue cylinder in the water.

The somber scene at the reception center was in stark contrast to elsewhere on the island, as throngs of tourists enjoyed Friday’s Ferragosto public holiday.

At the port, where dozens of migrants were still arriving by boat at the port, pleasure craft were bringing back tourists from sea trips to the sound of festive music.

At the cemetery, women came to pray and leave flowers for those who lost their lives, while a vigil in memory of the dead was held at a local Catholic shrine.

“Migrants continue to arrive... our arms are always open but when these deaths occur, it hurts us deeply,” one local woman, who gave her name only as Angela, told AFP.


Two wounded in shooting near mosque in Sweden

Two wounded in shooting near mosque in Sweden
Updated 15 August 2025
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Two wounded in shooting near mosque in Sweden

Two wounded in shooting near mosque in Sweden
  • Local media report one person was shot as he left the mosque

STOCKHOLM: Two people were wounded Friday in a shooting near a mosque in the Swedish town of Orebro, police said, with local media reporting one person was shot as he left the mosque.

Police provided no details about the circumstances of the shooting, but urged the public to stay away from the scene as they searched for the shooter.

“We are currently actively pursuing the perpetrator or perpetrators,” police spokesman Anders Dahlman told AFP.

“We are interviewing witnesses and carrying out our technical investigation,” he said.

A police statement online said they had opened a preliminary investigation into attempted murder.

The town of Orebro was home to a school shooting in February in which 11 people were killed, including the perpetrator.