Today's Newsletter

• The Daily Express reports that Britain must leave the European Convention of Human Rights to prevent extremists from using human rights laws in their favour while being held in prison, some people claim. The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, warned some of the country’s most dangerous criminals will exploit a series of rulings to “argue that they should be allowed out with this one, and not with that one, and that any decision they disagree with is contrary to Article 8” - all to avoid being held in Separation Centres. Politicians warned this “loophole” will lead to taxpayers paying millions in compensation to convicted terrorists.

• A jury has found that a teenager created an online "library" of extreme right-wing material encouraging violent attacks on racial groups, BBC News reports. Joseph Cope, now 20, used social media to encourage terrorism, the Old Bailey heard, and was charged with three counts of encouraging terrorism, one of dissemination of terrorist publications on Telegram and one single specimen count of possessing information useful to a terrorist. Despite being unfit for trial, a jury found he did the acts alleged against him after deliberating for just over an hour.

• PA Media reports that the UK Government has imposed new sanctions against people suspected of committing atrocities in the war in Sudan, or fuelling the conflict. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government wants to “dismantle the war machine” by targeting senior commanders in the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, whose soldiers are suspected of carrying out massacres against the civilian population and using rape as a weapon of war.

• A United Nations monitoring group has found that al-Qa'ida and its network of affiliates have grown 50 times larger than they were at the time of 9/11, The Times reports. Using intelligence gathered by spy agencies such as MI6, the UN security council monitoring team estimated a figure of 25,000 fighters spread across the globe - excluding members of Daesh. Colin Smith, the team’s co-ordinator, said: "The threat is still there — we neglect that threat or we overlook it, frankly, at our peril.”

• ABC News reports that a man has been arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota, of making threats against federal immigration agents and doxxing a "pro-ICE individual." Kyle Wagner, who allegedly described himself as an "Antifa member" according to federal authorities, has been arrested on federal charges of cyberstalking and making threatening communications. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement: "Today's arrest illustrates that you cannot run, you cannot hide, and you cannot evade our federal agents: if you come for law enforcement, the Trump Administration will come for you." 

• The Nigerian government has announced a military operation to tackle Islamist militants following the mass killings of 162 people on Tuesday, Associated Press reports. President Bola Tinubu’s office said in a statement late Wednesday that a Nigerian army battalion will be deployed to Kwara’s Kaiama area, where the attack happened. Separately, on Thursday, the Kaduna state governor announced that all 183 Christians taken in three simultaneous church abductions last month have been released.

The 'loopholes' terrorists could exploit to cause carnage unless UK leaves ECHR

Daily Express, 05/02/2026

Britain must leave the ECHR to prevent terrorists using human rights laws to plot carnage behind bars, the Daily Express has been told. The terror watchdog, Jonathan Hall, revealed how jihadis are gaming the system to force prison chiefs to let them congregate behind bars. The extremists successfully claimed they should not be held in Separation Centres – despite fears they could radicalise others and spark a security crisis. Mr Hall warned some of the country’s most dangerous criminals will exploit a series of rulings to “argue that they should be allowed out with this one, and not with that one, and that any decision they disagree with is contrary to Article 8”.

Teen created 'library' of extreme right-wing material

BBC News, 05/02/2026

A teenager created an online "library" of extreme right-wing material encouraging violent attacks on racial groups, a jury has found. Between the ages of 16 and 17, Joseph Cope, now 20, used social media to encourage terrorism - including publishing hundreds of right-wing documents, the Old Bailey heard. He was arrested at his home in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire in June 2022 and was charged with three counts of encouraging terrorism, one of dissemination of terrorist publications on Telegram and one single specimen count of possessing information useful to a terrorist. Despite being unfit for trial, a jury found he did the acts alleged against him after deliberating for just over an hour. The court heard how Cope had been publishing posts and images on a Telegram channel called Serano's Division.

UK sanctions paramilitary group leaders over atrocities in Sudan

PA Media, 05/02/2026

The UK government has imposed new sanctions against six people suspected of committing atrocities in the war in Sudan, or fuelling the conflict through the supply of mercenaries and military equipment. The sanctions crack down on senior commanders in the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), whose soldiers are suspected of carrying out massacres against the civilian population and using rape as a weapon of war They also target people who are suspected of recruiting foreign fighters to take part in the conflict, or facilitating the purchase of military equipment.

Also: (£) Reuters

Tories call for retrial of Palestine Action activists

(£) Daily Telegraph, 05/02/2026

The Tories have called for a retrial of Palestine Action activists acquitted of a raid on an Israeli defence company’s British factory. Six people were cleared of aggravated burglary on Wednesday over an incident that caused more than £1m of damage and left a police officer with a fractured spine. The jury at Woolwich Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on the charge of grievous bodily harm faced by one individual, and on two counts of criminal damage over the alleged spraying of red paint and breaking of computers with hammers. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has written to Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions, calling for a retrial of the criminal damage and grievous bodily harm charges. The incident took place on Aug 6, 2024.

Also: The Sun, (£) The Times

Fury at Green leader for celebrating court's failure to convict Palestine Action protesters over break-in that left policewoman with 'shattered spine' from sledgehammer attack

Daily Mail, 05/02/2026

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been branded 'disgusting' for allegedly gloating about a jury failing to convict Palestine Action protesters over a break-in at an Israeli defence firm which left a police woman with a 'shattered spine'. Mr Polanski retweeted a conspiracy theorist who claimed Yvette Cooper made up a 'lie' about the sergeant being badly hurt by an activist to justify proscribing PA as a terrorist group. He also claimed that 'people protesting against a genocide are not the criminals here' after the end of a court case against six people accused of targeting Elbit Systems' Bristol factory last year. However, the trial at Woolwich Crown Court heard that there was no dispute that Sergeant Kate Evans was hit with a sledgehammer, leaving her with a fractured spine that kept her off work for three months.

Dudley man, 20, charged with terrorism offences

Express and Star, 05/02/2026

A man has been charged with terrorism offences following a pre-planned police operation in Lye. Sardar Shahid, aged 20, was detained at an address in Lye by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands on Tuesday (February 3). On Wednesday he was charged with four counts of disseminating terrorism materials and one count of possession of an article for terrorist purposes. He was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Also: Birmingham Live

Palestine Action verdict shows peril of outside interference

(£) The Times, 05/02/2026

Jonathan Ames writes: "Juries can be mercurial. There is no better illustration of this than the verdict at Woolwich crown court in London this week in the prosecution of six Palestine Action members."

This is comment or editorial reporting.

NHS doctor who posted conspiracy theories claiming Jewish people were behind 9/11 is suspended for two months

Daily Mail, 05/02/2026

An NHS doctor who posted conspiracy theories on social media claiming Jews were behind the 9/11 attacks has been suspended for two months. Dr Najmiah Ahmad, who was working at the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust at the time, appeared before a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing accused of misconduct. Consultant anaesthetist Ahmad used her X account to repost two 'seriously offensive' comments which led to the GMC receiving a complaint from the Jewish Medical Association (JMA) UK. One repost read: 'The Zionist owned-and-controlled mainstream media has suppressed this important story for years. Are you surprised? 9/11 was an inside job, The Zionist owned-and-controlled US government was complicit.' A second post read: 'This should also be considered. 5 Dancing Zionists on 9/11 attacks.'

Also: GB News

Burnopfield white supremacist died at HMP Frankland

Northern Echo, 05/02/2026

A white supremacist from County Durham who manufactured poison in his home as he planned a deadly terror attack has died in prison. Ian Foster Delaney (also known as Ian Davison) from Burnopfield was found dead in his HMP Frankland cell on November 4. The 57-year-old neo-Nazi was jailed alongside his son at Newcastle Crown Court for producing a chemical weapon and terror offences. The court heard that Delaney, a leading member of the Aryan Strike Force (ASF), created ricin at his home in 2006 or early 2007, which was later found by police in a jam jar during a raid. An inquest into his death was opened by Senior Coroner for County Durham and Darlington Jeremy Chipperfield on Tuesday (February 3), and heard his death was linked to epilepsy.

Home Office will provide accommodation for protester who faces ‘exceptional safety risk’ after burning Koran outside Turkish consulate

Daily Mail, 05/02/2026

The Home Office will provide accommodation to a protester who burned a Quran outside a Turkish consulate in London. Hamit Coskun was convicted of a religiously aggravated public order offence last June but later won an appeal against his conviction after a judge said 'blasphemy' was not a crime. The Crown Prosecution Service has since confirmed that it is appealing against the decision. After the controversial protest, Mr Coskun applied for asylum and is still awaiting a decision.  At a High Court hearing on Thursday, Mr Justice Linden said that Mr Coskun asked the Home Office to provide him with accommodation, saying his 'life has been threatened on a number of occasions' and there had been 'several acts of violence against him'.

Also: GB News

Man sent Islamophobic texts hours after Manchester synagogue attack

Manchester Evening News, 05/02/2026

A man who sent anti-Muslim messages just hours after the Manchester synagogue terrorist attack was sentenced today. Alexander Taylor, 34, sent text messages to a mental health text support service who were so concerned by them, and the threats within them, that they called the police. He made no comment when interviewed by officers but would plead guilty to sending a communication threatening death or serious harm on October 7, 2025. Taylor, from Wythenshaw, appeared at Stockport Magistrates' Court earlier today (January 5) to be sentenced. He was given a 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation days, including an uplift to mark the hate element.

'My Jewish friends avoid Leeds at weekends for fear of abuse'

BBC News, 06/02/2026

A woman who campaigns against antisemitism in Leeds said some of her Jewish friends avoid the city at weekends for fear of being targeted by religious abuse. Debbie, who is from the city, said: "Several families are leaving Britain because they don't feel safe here any more, they don't feel supported." She is part of the group Leeds Leads Against Antisemitism (LLAA), which said there had been an increase in verbal attacks and threats against the Jewish population since the start of the Israel Gaza conflict on 7 October 2023. A second woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she had to give up her city centre food stall after people found out she was born in Israel and targeted her business.

Police face legal action over Grindr gang ‘blackmail’ victim’s suicide

London Evening Standard, 06/02/2026

Police face legal action after an internal report found failures when a man allegedly targeted by a gang on Grindr died by suicide. Scott Gough, 56, died within 24 hours of six men turning up at his house, knocking aggressively on the front door, demanding keys to his Range Rover and leaving a sinister note. His partner Cameron Tewson, 32, who was home alone dialled 999 but claims Hertfordshire Police were dismissive of his concerns. He believes this was driven by homophobia, something strongly denied by the force. Now its professional standards department has ordered a reinvestigation into possible blackmail after finding a series of errors. In their opinion, “sufficient suspicion to record a crime” had been missed.

Family of 1975 murder victim Bertie Frazer 'failed by RUC investigation'

PA Media, 05/02/2026

The family of a Co Armagh man murdered by the IRA in 1975 were “failed by the RUC investigation into his death”, a watchdog report has found. Bertie Frazer, 47, a part-time member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, was shot dead as he left a farm near Whitecross. The father of nine was pronounced dead in hospital. No-one has ever been convicted of his murder. A Police Ombudsman investigation also found that the level of available archive material is “a stark example of limited police record management”.

Publishing officers´ names on courts website `not a data breach´ - police chief

PA Media, 05/02/2026

The publishing of names of police officers on the Northern Ireland courts website was “not a result of any failure by the PSNI”, the chief constable has said. Justice Minister Naomi Long also denied a data breach, telling the Stormont Justice Committee on Thursday that no information was released erroneously. She told MLAs that court details relating to public sittings are “routinely listed publicly online, unless an application is made to the court for anonymity”. The incident on Monday came as officers seek compensation after their details were published in a major data breach in 2023. The Department of Justice said it had taken immediate action earlier this week to remove the online public court list.

Iran is betting that Trump does not have a plan for regime change

The Guardian, 05/02/2026

When it comes to Iran and Donald Trump, there is so much bluff, backed by military hardware, that the truth rarely makes an appearance. It appears that a bullish Iran is going into negotiations with the US on Friday adopting maximalist positions that do not seem greatly different to those it adopted in the five rounds of talks before the negotiations were abruptly halted by the surprise Israeli attack on Iran last June. Given how much Iran has been weakened in the intervening eight months, Tehran’s refusal to change its negotiating position is at one level surprising. After all, during its 12-day war with Israel, the vulnerabilities of Iran’s air defences, and the penetration by Israeli intelligence of Iran’s political military and scientific elite were both revealed.

US says Trump prefers diplomacy with Iran but warns he has military options

(£) Reuters, 05/02/2026

The White House said on Thursday that diplomacy is President Donald Trump's first choice for dealing with Iran and he will wait to see whether a deal can be struck at high-stakes talks, but also warned that he has military options at his disposal. Final preparations were underway for Friday's meeting in Oman amid heightened tensions as the US builds up forces in the Middle East, which Trump has called a massive “armada,” and regional players seek to avert what many fear could escalate into a wider war. The talks were set to go ahead even though the two sides have had differences over the agenda, and that has increased doubts about the prospects for a deal. Trump has threatened to carry out strikes on Iran if an agreement cannot be reached.

Turkey is doing its best to prevent US-Iran conflict, Erdogan says

(£) Reuters, 05/02/2026

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is working hard to prevent U.S.-Iran tensions from tipping the Middle East into a new conflict, as the two adversaries signal that disagreement over Tehran's missile arsenal threatens to torpedo a deal. Speaking to reporters on a return flight from a visit to Egypt, Erdogan added that talks at the level of the U.S. and Iranian leadership would be helpful after lower-level nuclear negotiations due in Oman on Friday, according to a transcript of his comments shared by his office on Thursday. Turkey was doing its best to prevent an escalation, said Erdogan, who has spent years cultivating a close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump while expanding Ankara's diplomatic influence across the Middle East and beyond.

US and Iran agree to hold nuclear talks in Oman on Friday

BBC News, 05/02/2026

The US and Iran have agreed to hold nuclear talks in Oman on Friday, as President Donald Trump issued a blunt warning to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the meeting would start at 10:00 (06:00 GMT) in Muscat. US officials also confirmed it would happen there. The talks had appeared to be in jeopardy, with the two countries at odds over the location and parameters. Trump has built up US forces in the region and threatened military action if Iran does not agree a deal on its nuclear programme and stop killing protesters. Asked whether Khamenei should be worried, he told NBC News on Wednesday, external: "I would say he should be very worried." "He should be. As you know, they're negotiating with us," he added.

Trump is beset by hard dilemmas and no easy wins with Iran

CNN, 06/02/2026

Stephen Collinson writes in his analysis: "This is one shock Donald Trump may prefer not to inflict on Americans. If one day soon, they awake to a new war with Iran, the president will be taking a huge gamble in a nation starting to look exhausted by his extremes."

This is comment or editorial reporting.

Pakistani military concludes operation against separatists in Balochistan, 216 killed

(£) Reuters, 05/02/2026

Pakistan's military said on Thursday that it had concluded a week-long security operation against separatists in Balochistan, killing 216 militants in targeted offensives across the troubled southwestern province. Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and poorest province, was brought to a virtual standstill on Saturday when the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) stormed schools, banks, markets and security installations across the region in one of their largest operations ever. The military said 22 security personnel and 36 civilians were killed in the attacks. The BLA's coordinated strikes in over a dozen locations began after the military launched its "intelligence driven" Radd Al-Fitna 1 (countering chaos) operation, which the army said began on January 29.

Shin Bet chief’s brother charged with ‘assisting enemy’ over cigarette smuggling in Gaza

The Guardian, 05/02/2026

The brother of Israel’s internal security chief has been charged with “assisting the enemy in wartime” for his alleged role in a smuggling network taking cigarettes and other goods into Gaza during an Israeli blockade of the occupied Palestinian territory. Bezalel Zini was one of more than 10 people charged in relation to the alleged network. His brother, David Zini, is the head of the Shin Bet, the domestic intelligence agency. He was appointed by the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, last May and began the job in October. Israel has long controlled all goods going into Gaza and enforced a total blockade at the height of the war that led to widespread famine. Smuggling was rife under blockade, and cigarettes were a luxury for the very few.

Also: BBC News, CNN

Organizers say a new civilian-led aid flotilla with over 10 will sail to Gaza in March

Associated Press, 05/02/2026

Organisers of an international flotilla of boats carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza on Thursday announced plans for another mission with more than 100 boats in March. Campaigners, who organized a similar aid flotilla last year, described the upcoming mission as the biggest civilian-led mobilization against Israel's actions in Gaza. They called on the international community to prevent Israeli forces from intercepting the operation. The announcement was made at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa and speakers included Mandla Mandela, grandson of the late former South African president.

UAE plans compound for Palestinians in Israeli-held south Gaza, map shows

(£) Reuters, 05/02/2026

The United Arab Emirates has drafted plans to build a compound to house thousands of displaced Palestinians in a part of south Gaza under Israeli military control, according to a map seen by Reuters and people briefed on the plans. The planning map shows where the "UAE Temporary Emirates Housing Complex" would be constructed near Rafah, once a city of a quarter of a million people but now almost completely destroyed and depopulated by Israeli forces. Rafah, near the Egypt border, is where reconstruction of Gaza is expected to start under U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for a durable peace in the densely populated coastal enclave after two years of devastating war. Donors have been reluctant to commit funds to the plan, worried that disagreements over disarming Hamas militants could lead the parties back to full-scale conflict.

'This is kill or be killed': Minneapolis man arrested on charges of threatening ICE agents

ABC News, 05/02/2026

A Minneapolis man who allegedly described himself as an "Antifa member" has been arrested on charges of making threats against federal immigration agents and doxxing a "pro-ICE individual," federal authorities announced on Thursday. Kyle Wagner, 37, was arrested on federal charges of cyberstalking and making threatening communications after he allegedly called for the murder and assault of federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. "This man allegedly doxxed and called for the murder of law enforcement officers, encouraged bloodshed in the streets, and proudly claimed affiliation with the terrorist organization Antifa before going on the run," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

Also: Associated Press

Pardoned January 6 rioter pleads guilty to threatening US Democratic leader Jeffries

(£) Reuters, 06/02/2026

A January 6, 2021, rioter, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty to a harassment charge after being accused of threatening to kill U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, prosecutors said on Thursday. Christopher Moynihan, 35, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour harassment charge in a hearing in Clinton, New York, and will be sentenced in April. His representative could not immediately be reached. "Threats against elected officials are not political speech, they are criminal acts that strike at the heart of public safety and our democratic system," Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said in a statement.

Also: Associated Press

US military says two killed in strike on alleged drug boat

BBC News, 06/02/2026

The US military says it has struck another boat in the Eastern Pacific Ocean that it alleges was carrying drugs, killing two people on Thursday. US Southern Command said the vessel was being operated by designated terrorist organisations and travelling on known narco-trafficking routes. US forces have been targeting vessels they suspect of smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September. At least 38 lethal strikes have been carried out in that time and 128 people have died. The Trump administration has justified the operations as part of a non-international armed conflict meant to stem the flow of drugs from Latin America to the US.

Also: AFP

No credible threats to Milano Cortina Games, U.S. security official says

(£) Reuters, 05/02/2026

There are no credible security threats to the Milano Cortina Games, a top U.S. security official told Reuters in Milan on the eve of the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics. "Right now we are not tracking any credible threats," Tim Ayers, director of the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Major Events Coordination Division, said in an interview on Thursday. Ayers said the number one concern when securing a large event like the Olympics was a lone actor attack. "That's something where some actor decides to do something one day. There's no prior planning, they just decide to do something. That's always a concern," he said.

Al-Qaeda 50 times bigger than at time of 9/11, UN warns

(£) The Times, 05/02/2026

Al-Qa'ida and its network of affiliates have 50 times more recruits than they had at the time of 9/11, according to data compiled by a United Nations monitoring group. The figures, drawn from intelligence gathered by spy agencies such as MI6, show that there are now 25,000 potential fighters dotted across the globe. At the time of the Twin Tower attacks, in September 2001, there were an estimated 500 terrorists. The statistics were shared at a briefing at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) before the publication of the UN security council monitoring team’s annual report on the global terrorist threat. Colin Smith, the team’s co-ordinator, said the threat from terrorism had become multipolar and that groups such as al-Qa'ida and Daesh “have not given up”.

Nigeria sets up new military command to slow spread of Islamic militants after deadly attack

Associated Press, 05/02/2026

The Nigerian government has announced a new military operation to tackle Islamist militants following the killing of more than 160 people in western Kwara state, many of them reportedly for resisting extremist ideology. Local officials said 162 people were killed during the Tuesday attack in the villages of Woro and Nuku, one of the deadliest attacks in the country outside of the known conflict hot spots. The gunmen razed homes and looted shops in what Amnesty International's Nigeria office called “a stunning security failure.” No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack in the Muslim-majority villages. Locals and officials have pointed to various Islamist militant groups, including Nigeria's homegrown Boko Haram or the Daesh-linked Lakurawa.

‘They killed my sons’: chief of Nigerian village where jihadists massacred hundreds recounts night of terror

The Guardian, 05/02/2026

The traditional chief of a village in western Nigeria where jihadis killed residents earlier this week has recounted a night of terror during which the attackers killed two of his sons and kidnapped his wife and three daughters. Umar Bio Salihu, the 53-year-old chief of Woro, a small, Muslim-majority village in Kwara state, said that at about 5pm on Tuesday the gunmen “just came in and started shooting”. “All those shops that are within the road, they burnt them … Some people have been burned inside their houses,” he told the Agence France-Presse news agency. “They killed two of (my sons) standing at the front of my house. They took away my second wife with some three (daughters). They are with them presently in the bush.”

89 kidnapped Nigerian Christians released

AFP, 05/02/2026

The last 89 Christians held captive since criminal gangs attacked three churches in northern Nigeria in mid-January were released on Thursday, following a spate of mass kidnappings in the country. The worshippers, dressed in yellow and including children, arrived on a bus escorted by security forces, and were received by the governor of Kaduna state, Uba Sani, who said 183 people were initially abducted. They were taken from three churches during Sunday services on January 18, in the Kurmin Wali village of the predominantly Christian district of Kajuru, Kaduna state, the latest in a wave of mass abductions targeting both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. The attacks have piled international scrutiny on insecurity in the country, including from US President Donald Trump.

Azerbaijan hands long prison terms to former Karabakh officials

(£) Reuters, 05/02/2026

An Azerbaijani military court issued long prison sentences on Thursday to 13 former officials of Nagorno-Karabakh, where ethnic Armenians maintained an unrecognised breakaway statelet for three decades until Baku restored military control in 2023. Five defendants, including former Karabakh leader Arayik Harutyunyan, were sentenced to life imprisonment. Eight others received prison terms ranging from 15 to 20 years. They were convicted on charges including crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, preparation and conduct of an aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism and the violent seizure of power.

In Lebanon, a Hezbollah-run camp houses people escaping Syria

AFP, 05/02/2026

"They drove us out at gunpoint," says Lebanese citizen Zeinab Qataya, who fled her adopted home in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad and returned to her country to live in a camp built by Hizballah. The construction of the Imam Ali Housing Compound has proved controversial, but Lebanese and Syrian families pushed out of villages just over the border in Syria say they now rely on the Iran-backed movement for safety. Hizballah has acknowledged intervening in Syria's civil war on Assad's behalf starting in 2013 from their foothold in the Qusayr area, home to border villages like Zeita where thousands of Lebanese Shiites have lived for decades.

Senator calls for action on 'hateful' white supremacy

Australian Associated Press, 05/02/2026

Decisive action must be taken to tackle the growing racist hate directed at Indigenous Australians, a senator says after an attempted Invasion Day rally bombing was declared a terrorist act. Thousands of people were evacuated from Forrest Place in Perth's city centre on January 26 after a 31-year-old man allegedly threw an explosive device at a crowd of Indigenous people, families and supporters. It's left First Nations Australians fearful and angry, as they come to terms with the allegedly targeted attack that was designed to inflict mass casualties. Authorities on Thursday confirmed the incident was an act of terror motivated by racist, pro-white nationalist ideology, with the accused facing life behind bars if he is found guilty.

Saudi Arabia deploys cash and clout in Yemen after ousting UAE

(£) Reuters, 05/02/2026

After pushing the United Arab Emirates out of Yemen late last year, Saudi Arabia is deploying political capital and billions of dollars in a bid to bring its southern neighbour more firmly under its control, a sign of Riyadh reasserting itself regionally after years of prioritizing a domestic agenda, six officials told Reuters. It’s a formidable challenge. The wealthy Gulf kingdom is trying to bring together fractious armed groups and tribes while also propping up a collapsed state through major cash injections, with an unresolved conflict with Houthi rebels in north Yemen held at bay by a fragile truce - just as Riyadh faces a budget crunch at home. The kingdom is budgeting nearly $3 billion this year to cover salaries for Yemeni forces and civil servants, according to four Yemeni and two Western officials, who said it included roughly $1 billion earmarked for salaries for southern fighters once paid by Abu Dhabi.

ABC staff told not to use disappearing messages on topics including antisemitism and extremism due to freeze notice

The Guardian, 06/02/2026

Journalists at the ABC who cover any topic which comes under the remit of the royal commission into antisemitism received a sobering edict from news boss Justin Stevens on Friday: they cannot send or receive confidential Signal messages because no communications can be destroyed. Journalists use disappearing messages in some circumstances to communicate with confidential sources in an effort to protect what they tell them. The ABC is one of a number of commonwealth departments and agencies which must comply with a disposal freeze order from the National Archives of Australia. “This includes disappearing messages on apps such as Signal,” Stevens said.

The Guardian view on Saudi Arabia and the UAE: as former allies clash, others are likely to pay

The Guardian, 05/02/2026

The editorial board writes: "...by 2023 the relationship had soured: the Saudi crown prince reportedly accused the UAE of “stabb[ing] us in the back”. Late last year the disputes became spectacularly public. In Yemen, Southern secessionists backed by the UAE made dramatic advances in oil-rich areas – before being forced out by Saudi-backed forces. Riyadh effectively described the UAE as threatening its national security. Saudi commentators voiced increasing contempt for the kingdom’s former partner. In turn, a senior Emirati official complained of “wickedness” in the media campaign against it.

This is comment or editorial reporting.

Jewish Australians must be safe from fear or harassment. But shielding Isaac Herzog from legitimate protest is not the answer

The Guardian, 06/02/2026

George Newhouse writes: "Allowing fair and peaceful criticism of a foreign head of state, even amid a deeply fraught Middle Eastern crisis, is not antisemitism."

This is comment or editorial reporting.

This summary is not a statement of Home Office policy or opinion. Note that these outlets have a local or regional UK focus and/or a daily reach of less than 100k, and a minority may be funded by foreign governments.

'When will we see action?': John Swinney challenged over Israel boycott

(£) The National, 05/02/2026

John Swinney has been urged to take action on a boycott of Israel following The National’s reporting that no post-vote briefing documents were prepared for ministers about its implementation.

Be'eri to Manchester to Bondi: Antisemitism is the canary in the coalmine for extremism

LBC News, 05/02/2026

“What begins with Jews never ends with Jews,” writes Michal Cotler-Wunsh and Nadav Steinman.

This is comment or editorial reporting.

Israeli minors assault Palestinian pupils on a school trip

Middle East Eye, 05/02/2026

A group of Israeli students assaulted Palestinian teachers and pupils in northern Israel on Wednesday, leaving more than a dozen people hospitalised.

Greek minister lashes out at Turkey in bid to sway Washington

Middle East Eye, 05/02/2026

Greece’s defence minister rebuked Turkey on Thursday at a Washington think-tank event, saying that it was "advocating for Hamas" and did not share the US’s vision for the Middle East.

Tim Scott clashes with Chuck Grassley, Dick Durbin over Nazi-linked bank probe

Politico, 05/02/2026

The South Carolina Republican asked the leaders of the Judiciary Committee to hand information over to the Banking Committee.

Gaddafi supporters left without rallying figure after Saif al-Islam’s killing

Middle East Eye, 05/02/2026

Gaddafi’s son had significant symbolic weight and his assassination could alter Libya’s already turbulent security and political landscape, analysts say.

This summary is not a statement of Home Office policy or opinion. Note that some of these outlets have lower reach with UK audiences and/or may be state/government funded. Please also note that foreign media outlets may not have equivalent editorial standards to UK-based outlets.

UK imposes sanctions on senior Sudanese army commander and five others over war atrocities

National Newspaper, 06/02/2026

The UK has imposed sanctions on six people, including a senior army commander, suspected of committing atrocities in Sudan's civil war or fuelling the conflict through the supply of mercenaries and military equipment.

Reform UK's foreign policy plan: Get tough on Muslim Brotherhood 'terror group'

National Newspaper, 06/02/2026

A spokesman for the UK's fastest-growing political movement has said the British government needs to get much tougher on branding the Muslim Brotherhood a " terror group " as part of a wholesale effort to strengthen its global standing.

French foreign minister visits Middle East for talks on Syria, Iran and ISIS

National Newspaper, 05/02/2026

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Damascus on Thursday as part of a Middle East tour aimed at addressing crises involving Syria, Iran and Daesh

Trump’s ‘maximalist demands’ for Iran put talks in Oman on uncertain ground

Al Jazeera, 06/02/2026

The administration of United States President Donald Trump is entering the latest round of talks with Iran with a list of maximalist demands, even as their wider strategy remains unclear, analysts have told Al Jazeera.

24 India-backed terrorists killed in two KP operations: ISPR

Geo News, 06/02/2026

Security forces killed 24 militants belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij in two separate engagements carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday.

Pakistan army says it killed 216 fighters in weeklong Balochistan campaign

Al Jazeera, 05/02/2026

Pakistan's military has concluded a weeklong security operation in the restive southwestern Balochistan province, claiming the deaths of 216 fighters in targeted offensives.

Baloch, Pakhtoon bear brunt of Balochistan terror like Punjabis

Geo News, 05/02/2026

Contrary to the narrative projected by terrorist militant outfits operating in Balochistan, official figures for 2025 reveal that the overwhelming majority of terrorist attacks in the province targeted local Baloch and Pakhtoon populations, as well as law enforcement personnel, exposing the indiscriminate and anti-people character of the violence.

'Abuse is abuse': UNICEF calls on authorities to criminalize AI-driven abusive content

The News International, 05/02/2026

The United Nations children's advocacy agency expressed their deep concerns regarding child safety issues.

Charged suspect 'was in Pakistan' during attacks on Raja, Akbar

Geo News, 05/02/2026

A convicted British-Pakistani man charged in connection with attacks on Adil Raja and Shahzad Akbar in Chesham and Cambridge in late December 2025 and January 2026 was in Pakistan and then in Dubai at the time when the attacks took place, sources said.

India carrying out terrorism through proxies after humiliating May defeat: PM Shehbaz

Geo News, 05/02/2026

In the wake of recent deadly attacks in Balochistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that India was carrying out terrorism across Pakistan through proxies after suffering a humiliating defeat in Marka-e-Haq — period of conflict with India from the April 22 to May 10 last year.

Israeli air attacks on Lebanon reach highest level since ceasefire: Report

Al Jazeera, 05/02/2026

Israel is carrying out a “clear and dangerous” surge in air attacks on Lebanon, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has said, with its warplanes conducting more attacks on its neighbour in January than in any previous month since the ceasefire.

Israel keeps prisons holding Palestinians off limits to Red Cross

National Newspaper, 06/02/2026

Israel continues to bar the International Committee for the Red Cross from visiting Palestinian detainees despite concerns about poor conditions and mistreatment.

January settler attacks cause record West Bank displacement since Oct 2023, UN says

AFP, 05/02/2026

Israeli settler violence and harassment in the occupied West Bank displaced nearly 700 Palestinians in January, the United Nations said Thursday, the highest rate since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.

Here's why Israel is allowing record murder rates in its Palestinian towns

Al Jazeera, 05/02/2026

Neve Gordon writes: “Israel is tolerating violence against its Palestinian citizens to push them out, while weaponising antisemitism to pull Jews in.”

This is comment or editorial reporting.

Trump’s building a new world order, and there’s a method to his ‘madness’

Al Jazeera, 05/02/2026

Nick Dearden writes: “His goal is to replace international law with the rule of the bully. And he’s getting there.”

This is comment or editorial reporting.

US military kills two people in latest attack on vessel in the Pacific

Al Jazeera, 06/02/2026

The United States military has said that it killed two people in its latest attack on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

UN terror monitor warns on AQAP resurgence in Yemen

National Newspaper, 05/02/2026

The leading UN expert on global terrorism has warned that al Qa’ida is pursuing a new strategy of expansion, highlighting the group's recent growth in Yemen as an imminent threat.

Lebanon army chief holds positive talks with US officials, faces pushback on Capitol Hill

Al Arabiya, 06/02/2026

Lebanon’s army commander, Rodolphe Haykal, was set to leave Washington this week after a series of generally positive meetings with US officials.

Al Jazeera (Middle East, Arabic Language)

• US military kills two people in latest attack on vessel in the Pacific; Thailand election 2026: What are the main parties? What do polls suggest?; Trump rejects call from Russia’s Putin to extend cap on nuclear deployments; Trump’s ‘maximalist demands’ for Iran put talks in Oman on uncertain ground

Al Arabiya (Middle East, Arabic Language)

• Iran FM calls for ‘mutual respect’ ahead of talks with US; Lebanon army chief holds positive talks with US officials, faces pushback on Capitol Hill; Iran’s foreign minister heads to Muscat for nuclear talks with US; January settler attacks cause record West Bank displacement since Oct 2023, UN says; Trump rejects Putin offer of one-year extension of New START deployment limits

Geo TV (Pakistan, Urdu and English)

• Basant returns to Lahore after over two decades as kites rise again under strict curbs; US says Trump prefers diplomacy with Iran but warns he has military options; Updates: Hamas-Israel ceasefire holds; Basant in Lahore: One killed, five injured in kite-flying incidents