Security news

• Ofqual report welcomed

  31-01-2017 15:22
  
  There are good reasons to think that the qualifications in the SIA-badged security sector are particularly at risk from malpractice, says a report by the exams regulator Ofqual.Sally Collier, Chief Regulator, said: "The public expect that those who gain qualifications to work in the private security industry have been rigorously trained and assessed. Our thorough review of this sector gave us a number of causes for concern. The actions we have taken re-emphasise the responsibilities awardi...
  
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• Sikorsky Ramps Up Production of New Variant S-92 Helicopter

  09-03-2026 11:40 via defencetalk.com
  DefenceTalkSikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT) is preparing to build the first production batch of S-92A+™ helicopters, the latest variant of its flagship commercial heavy-lifter. A+ model aircraft will be manufactured and assembled in Stratford and Owego, New York, for a new head-of-state transport customer, and anticipated orders from Head of State and offshore-energy […]https://www.defencetalk.com/sikorsky-ramps-up-production-of-new-variant-s-92-helicopter-80716/
  
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• Qatar arrests 313 people for sharing attacks footage, ‘rumors’

  09-03-2026 11:29 via defencetalk.com
  DefenceTalkQatari authorities have arrested more than 300 people for sharing images and what they described as “misleading information” during days of attacks by Iran, the interior ministry said on Monday. The arrests echo measures across the Gulf as Iran targets airports, military bases, energy installations and residential areas with daily drones and missiles. Those arrested […]https://www.defencetalk.com/qatar-arrests-313-people-for-sharing-attacks-footage-rumors-80707/
  
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• Japan to deploy counter-strike missiles closer to China

  09-03-2026 11:23 via defencetalk.com
  DefenceTalkJapan will deploy a batch of long-range, counter-strike missiles in a southwest region near China by the end of March, officials said Monday. The Ground Self-Defense Force plans to position its Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles, with a reported range of 1,000 kilometres (620 miles), in Kumamoto, Kyushu region, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japan-to-deploy-counter-strike-missiles-closer-to-china-80702/
  
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• Global arms exports soar on European demand: study

  08-03-2026 11:57 via defencetalk.com
  DefenceTalkGlobal weapons flows grew by almost 10 percent in the past five years, with Europe more than tripling imports, a report showed on Monday. The surge in European countries can be explained, in part at least, by the fact they are buying in weapons to supply to Ukraine and because they are seeking to boost […]https://www.defencetalk.com/global-arms-exports-soar-on-european-demand-study-80726/
  
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• Kremlin says nuclear weapons in Finland would threaten Russia

  08-03-2026 11:35 via defencetalk.com
  DefenceTalkRussia said on Friday it saw Finland’s move to lift restrictions on hosting nuclear weapons as a potential threat and vowed to respond if Helsinki followed through with the plan. A Russia neighbor and NATO member since 2023, Finland said on Thursday it planned to lift restrictions prohibiting nuclear weapons on its soil, in order […]https://www.defencetalk.com/kremlin-says-nuclear-weapons-in-finland-would-threaten-russia-80712/
  
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• North Korea’s Kim oversees naval destroyer, cruise missile test

  06-03-2026 18:53 via defencetalk.com
  DefenceTalkNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests this week of his country’s naval destroyer, claiming Pyongyang is in the process of “arming the Navy with nuclear weapons”, state media reported Thursday. The tests, including a launch of a sea-to-surface cruise missile, come shortly after Kim led a major once-in-five-years Party Congress, at which he […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-koreas-kim-oversees-naval-destroyer-cruise-missile-test-80697/
  
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• Northrop Grumman Expands Aircraft Protection to Germany

  06-03-2026 11:42 via defencetalk.com
  DefenceTalkFor the first time, Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) is providing its Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) system to Germany, reinforcing the company’s position as a leading developer of advanced aircraft survivability systems, with a broadening presence in Europe. CIRCM, a U.S. Army program of record, acts as a high-tech shield when installed on the outside of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/northrop-grumman-expands-aircraft-protection-to-germany-80721/
  
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• Finland to allow nuclear weapons on its soil: government

  06-03-2026 04:48 via defencetalk.com
  DefenceTalkFinland said Thursday it planned to lift restrictions prohibiting nuclear weapons on its soil, in order to bring the country in line with NATO’s deterrence policy after joining the alliance in 2023. “The government proposal would make it possible in future to bring a nuclear weapon into Finland, or to transport, deliver or possess one […]https://www.defencetalk.com/finland-to-allow-nuclear-weapons-on-its-soil-government-80693/
  
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• US says it has sunk more than 30 Iranian ships

  06-03-2026 04:46 via defencetalk.com
  DefenceTalkThe United States has sunk more than 30 Iranian ships during the ongoing war, while ballistic missile and drone attacks by Tehran’s forces are down substantially, a top US military officer said Thursday. “We’re now up over 30 ships (sunk), and in just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-says-it-has-sunk-more-than-30-iranian-ships-80689/
  
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• Middle East war enters seventh day as Israel strikes Beirut

  06-03-2026 04:43 via defencetalk.com
  DefenceTalkThe raging Iran war, which has spread across the Middle East and beyond, entered its seventh day Friday after Israeli forces announced a “next phase” in the conflict and bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs. The Israeli military had earlier issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for the entire area — “save your lives and evacuate your residences […]https://www.defencetalk.com/middle-east-war-enters-seventh-day-as-israel-strikes-beirut-80685/
  
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• Ex-minister adds to UK calls for ban on political donations in cryptocurrency

  01-03-2026 11:00
  Exclusive: Labour’s Rushanara Ali plans to intervene in elections bill amid warnings of foreign interferenceA former Labour minister has added her voice to those of a growing list of experts and senior MPs calling for a ban on political donations in cryptocurrency as concerns grow over foreign interference in British elections.Rushanara Ali, the Labour MP who helped draft the elections bill when she was a minister in the communities department, called for the government to strengthen the l
  
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• How an undercover cop foiled an IS plot to massacre Britain’s Jews – podcast

  16-02-2026 04:00
  The Guardian’s community affairs correspondent, Chris Osuh, reports on the plot by two IS terrorists to massacre Jews in Manchester, and how it was thwarted by an undercover stingWalid Saadaoui had once worked as a holiday entertainer, organising dance shows and quizzes at a resort in his native Tunisia. After moving to the UK and marrying a British woman, he became a restaurateur and an avid keeper of birds.All the while, however – as the Guardian’s community affairs correspon
  
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• Owen Jones on Palestine Action high court win | The Latest

  13-02-2026 18:27
  The co-founder of Palestine Action has won a legal challenge to the home secretary’s decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws. Palestine Action was the first direct action protest group to be proscribed. The decision was widely condemned and was defied by a civil disobedience campaign, during which more than 2,000 people have been arrested. From July last year, being a member of – or showing support for – the group became an offence punishable by up to 14 years in pr
  
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• Two men jailed for life over plot to attack Greater Manchester’s Jewish community

  13-02-2026 17:00
  An undercover operative stopped the pair from carrying out what could have been UK’s deadliest terrorist attackTwo men have been jailed for life after attempting to stage one of the UK’s deadliest terrorist attacks before it was thwarted by an undercover operative.Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, who had sworn allegiance to Islamic State (IS), planned a marauding firearms attack targeting Greater Manchester’s Jewish community. Continue reading...
  
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• Opponents of Palestine Action ban celebrate court ruling that proscription is unlawful – video

  13-02-2026 15:56
  People opposed to the UK ban on Palestine Action celebrated after the group won a legal challenge to the home secretary’s decision to proscribe it under anti-terrorism laws. Palestine Action was the first direct action protest group to be proscribed under anti-terrorism law, which categorised it alongside the likes of Islamic State. The government decision attracted widespread condemnation as well as a civil disobedience campaign defying the ban, during which more than 2,000 people have be
  
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• Who would want to lead the ‘British FBI’? | Letter

  04-02-2026 18:57
  The proposed National Police Service, encompassing counter-terrorism and regional crime units along with the duties of the National Crime Agency, will be unmanageable, writes Peter SommerThe National Police Service (NPS) is the fourth or fifth iteration of a “British FBI”, not the third (What is Shabana Mahmood proposing in ‘biggest ever’ policing reforms? 26 January). Before the Serious And Organised Crime Agency and the National Crime Agency, we had a National Crime Squ
  
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• Mother of man jailed in Syria for Islamic State links calls for his repatriation to UK or Canada

  27-01-2026 11:26
  Sally Lane fears son Jack Letts, who left UK aged 18, may face death penalty if airlifted to Iraq under US operationThe mother of a British-born man detained for nearly nine years without trial in Syria has called for his repatriation to the UK or Canada as the US plans to airlift 7,000 Islamic State-linked prisoners from Syria to Iraq.Sally Lane, the mother of Jack Letts, 30, said she was “frantically trying to find out as much as possible” and that it was unclear if he would face t
  
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• Three men charged after ‘highly targeted attacks’ against Pakistani dissidents

  23-01-2026 22:11
  Alleged attacks took place in Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire against two prominent supporters of jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran KhanThree men have been charged after a series of “highly targeted” attacks against two Pakistani dissidents living in Britain.Police carried out a series of seven raids and arrests this week in London, Essex and the Midlands after four attacks, which began on Christmas Eve. Continue reading...
  
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• Counter-terrorism police investigating ‘highly targeted’ attacks on Pakistani dissidents in UK

  23-01-2026 07:00
  Exclusive: victims in hiding after attacks involving physical assault, attempted arson and the use of firearms Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command is investigating a series of “highly targeted” attacks on two Pakistani dissidents living in Britain which may bear the hallmarks of states using criminal proxies to silence their critics.One person has been arrested after a series of four attacks which began on Christmas Eve. One of the attacks involved a firearm. Continue rea
  
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• UK approves Chinese ‘mega embassy’ in London after reassurances from spy chiefs

  20-01-2026 16:57
  Critics expected to mount legal challenge to plans for vast complex at Royal Mint Court amid security concernsThe communities secretary, Steve Reed, has given permission for China to build a vast new embassy near the Tower of London after spy chiefs told him that the risks to UK national security could be controlled and dealt with.The decision paves the way for Keir Starmer to visit Beijing in the coming weeks – though local residents plan to legally challenge the decision, potentially del
  
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• ‘There can be no exclusions’: how Hillsborough law hit a roadblock

  20-01-2026 07:00
  What was meant to be a triumph for Keir Starmer has become mired in disagreement with victims’ familiesIt was meant to be a triumphant moment. After almost 16 months of briefing from Whitehall sources that Keir Starmer would never be able to keep his promise to introduce the Hillsborough law, the prime minister was introduced at the Labour conference by Margaret Aspinall.Aspinall, whose son James, 18, was one of the 97 people killed in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, has with other bereave
  
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• Royal Mint Court residents plan legal challenge if Chinese ‘mega embassy’ in London approved

  20-01-2026 07:00
  Claims of ‘government interference’ in decision on plans for vast outpost near Tower of LondonResidents of Royal Mint Court plan to mount a legal challenge within weeks if Steve Reed, the local government secretary, approves China’s plans to build a vast new embassy at the site by the Tower of London on Tuesday.Mark Nygate, the treasurer of the local Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association, said people living near the proposed development had concerns about “governm
  
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• UK arresting Palestine Action supporters is censoring free speech, says US official

  19-01-2026 20:38
  Sarah Rogers says prosecuting people for ‘merely’ expressing support ‘does more harm than good’Arresting supporters of Palestine Action is “censoring” their free speech and “does more harm than good”, a Trump administration official has said.Sarah Rogers, the US undersecretary for public diplomacy, was asked in an interview with the news platform Semafor whether the British government should allow supporters of the proscribed terror group to protes
  
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• Withdraw Hillsborough law amendment, urge Liverpool and Manchester mayors

  17-01-2026 17:56
  Draft creates ‘too broad an opt-out’ for intelligence chiefs to decide what information is released after major incidentThe mayors of Liverpool and Manchester have said an amendment to the Hillsborough law should be withdrawn, saying it does not do enough to prevent future cover-ups.The Liverpool city region mayor, Steve Rotheram, and the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, said the amendment “creates too broad an opt-out” by allowing intelligence officials to decide
  
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• Hillsborough law to be delayed over security services concerns

  13-01-2026 18:04
  Ministers hope to reach compromise after MPs and families said bill went too far in shielding intelligence officersThe government is to delay the progress of the Hillsborough law while ministers thrash out a compromise, amid concerns from MPs and families over how it will apply to serving intelligence officers.The bill will enforce a duty of candour on public officials and contractors to tell the truth in the aftermath of disasters. But concerns were raised by campaigners that it went too far in
  
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• UK ministers should explain compensation payment to Guantánamo detainee, Dominic Grieve says

  12-01-2026 21:59
  Former attorney general urges more clarity on British spy agencies’ role in Abu Zubaydah’s torture by CIAMinisters should explain why the UK has paid compensation to a Palestinian man who was tortured by the CIA and is still being held in Guantánamo Bay, according to a former attorney general.Abu Zubaydah, the first man subjected to CIA waterboarding, was reported by the BBC to have been awarded a payment that may amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds because of the role o
  
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• Slowly but surely, a state can repress its people. Why is the UK channelling Viktor Orbán’s Hungary? | Lydia Gall

  08-01-2026 14:16
  I know enough about the erosion of civil rights to fear what I now see in the UKLydia Gall is a senior Europe researcher at Human Rights WatchRight to protest is under attack in England and Wales, reports warnI saw, at first hand, the slow erosion of the rule of law in Hungary. It began not with a single shocking act but with quiet legal changes that narrowed space for dissent; each step justified as reasonable or necessary, until suddenly, democracy itself felt like a performance rather than a
  
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• Families affected by Manchester Arena attack say MI5 must be more open to scrutiny

  06-01-2026 08:54
  In a letter to Keir Starmer, they say MI5 failed them and the Security Service must be included in a law to stop cover-upsFamilies affected by the Manchester Arena bombing have said MI5 failed them and must be more open to scrutiny.In a letter sent to the prime minister seen by the BBC, the families demanded the Security Service be fully included in a new law designed to stop cover-ups in public life. Continue reading...
  
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• Ministers cannot go on ignoring the Shamima Begum case, for two important reasons

  02-01-2026 18:10
  The fate of the woman who left the UK at 15 in search of Islamic State raises wider questions about citizenshipWhile many aspects of UK political polling have shifted drastically since 2019, the public’s view on Shamima Begum has remained largely fixed: a big majority do not want the now 26-year-old woman back in the UK.In 2019, Sajid Javid, then home secretary, stripped the Londoner of her UK citizenship on the grounds that she was a security threat, having travelled as a schoolgirl with
  
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