Security news

• Risk of corruption in Border Force increased by dissatisfaction over pay and conditions

  07-09-2023 20:41
  
  Confused leadership structures and lack of data is hampering ability of UK border security agency to stop staff abusing positions, watchdog findsDissatisfaction over pay and conditions has increased the risk of corruption in the Border Force, the Government’s watchdog has said.David Neal, the chief inspector of borders and immigration, said in a report that the UK’s border security agency could face its own version of the scandals that have engulfed policing if it does not improve it
  
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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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• European human rights court questions UK decision to strip Shamima Begum of citizenship

  31-12-2025 18:01
  Begum’s lawyers argue she was child trafficking victim when she travelled to live under IS in Syria in 2015The European court of human rights has questioned the UK government over its 2019 decision to remove Shamima Begum’s British citizenship.Lawyers in Europe have asked how Begum’s treatment complies with the UK’s responsibilities to victims of trafficking. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘We refuse to be afraid’: solidarity and vigilance in British Jewish community targeted by IS plot

  24-12-2025 08:00
  Life goes on in a vibrant Greater Manchester neighbourhood after a plan for an attack was thwarted“They tried to kill us. They failed. Let’s eat,” Andrew Walters said.It is an old Jewish joke that’s as relevant as ever in Greater Manchester in the face of today’s threats. Continue reading...
  
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• A heavy moral burden as Palestine Action hunger strikers risk death | Letters

  23-12-2025 18:49
  Dr David Nicholl and Dr John Kalk discuss medical ethics in relation to the care of prisoners on hunger strike, and Dr Jonathan Fluxman calls on Labour to act now before the worst happensWe are not involved in the medical management of the Palestine Action hunger strikers, though we have experience of previous such protests (Families of Palestine Action hunger strikers seek urgent meeting with Lammy, 22 December). The ethical issues are well established: respect for consent, confidentiality, ass
  
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• ‘My blood is boiling, brother’: the foiled plot to massacre Jews on streets of Greater Manchester

  23-12-2025 14:57
  Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein thought ‘zero hour’ had finally arrived until undercover operative thwarted themWhen Walid Saadaoui recruited Amar Hussein to join him in a pogrom on the streets of Greater Manchester, Hussein wept with joy.For years, the two men had been sleeper agents for the Islamic State terrorist group. Each had lived quietly in Britain for years, waiting for the right moment to stage an attack, and for the right person to give them the support to make it happen.
  
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• UK aid cuts take 40% from funds to counter Russian threat in western Balkans

  20-12-2025 09:00
  Funding to tackle misinformation and cyber-attacks, and boost democracy, cut from £40m to £24mKeir Starmer’s raid on overseas aid has led to a 40% cut in funds for countering Russian aggression and misinformation in a region of Europe described by the prime minister as vital to the UK’s national security.British funding committed to bolstering the western Balkans, where Russia has been accused of sowing division and creating destabilisation, has been cut from £40m l
  
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• How far must UK go to fend off threat of foreign interference in its elections?

  16-12-2025 17:54
  Closing funding loopholes and re-empowering the watchdog would go some way to tackling an urgent issueUK to hold inquiry into foreign financial interference in domestic politicsRussia has been attempting to meddle with western democracy for years, but successive governments led by Boris Johnson and others have insisted that the UK’s electoral system can withstand its influence.That argument was recently blown apart by the conviction of former Reform politician Nathan Gill, jailed for 10 ye
  
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• UK spying laws could result in overreach and real harm, says review

  16-12-2025 13:03
  Jonathan Hall KC warns of people being wrongly investigated and of impact on journalists and thinktanksEspionage offences in the UK’s new National Security Act are so broadly defined that they “will result in cases of real harm” with people wrongly investigated, according to the first review of state threats legislation.Jonathan Hall KC, an independent reviewer appointed by the home secretary, said the 2023 law had to be monitored against “misuse and overreach” beca
  
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• Europe ready to lead ‘multinational force’ in Ukraine as part of US peace plan

  15-12-2025 22:26
  Proposal is part of new package of security guarantees, backed by the White House, that could mark breakthrough in reaching agreementEurope is ready to lead a “multinational force” in Ukraine as part of a US proposal for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, European leaders have said.In a statement, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany and eight other European countries said troops from a “coalition of the willing” with US support could “assist in the reg
  
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• Britain caught in ‘space between peace and war’, says new head of MI6

  15-12-2025 18:08
  Blaise Metreweli says world ‘more dangerous and contested now than for decades’ as AI and new technologies emergeBritain is caught in “a space between peace and war” complicated by the rise of artificial intelligence and other technologies dominated by powerful individuals and corporations, according to the new head of MI6.Blaise Metreweli, giving her first speech in the job, accused Russia of being insincere about Ukraine peace negotiations but made minimal reference to
  
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• ‘The frontline is everywhere’: new MI6 head to warn of growing Russian threat

  15-12-2025 01:01
  Blaise Metreweli expected to say UK faces new ‘age of uncertainty’ in speech identifying Kremlin as key threatAssassination plots, sabotage, cyber-attacks and the manipulation of information by Russia and other hostile states mean that “the frontline is everywhere”, the new head of MI6 will warn on Monday.Blaise Metreweli, giving her first speech in the job, is expected to say the UK faces a new “age of uncertainty” where the rules of conflict are being rewrit
  
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• Security stepped up in UK’s Jewish communities after Bondi beach shooting

  14-12-2025 15:50
  Police increase patrols around synagogues and other venues as tens of thousands celebrate HanukahBondi beach shooting – live updatesBritish police forces are stepping up security in Jewish communities after the antisemitic terror attack that left 12 people dead on Bondi beach in Australia.The Metropolitan police said they were increasing their presence around synagogues and other venues in London, where tens of thousands of Jews are celebrating Hanukah. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘I’m not going to hide again’: Stakeknife report met with relief by victims’ families

  09-12-2025 18:41
  Killings of suspected IRA informers brought shame and fear but relatives have opportunity to step out of shadowsMI5 impeded inquiry into Stakeknife agent who murdered for IRA, says official reportBritain’s ‘golden egg’: how IRA agent Freddie Scappaticci was protected to the endWhen Freddie Scappaticci’s “nutting squad” murdered suspected IRA informers the dead men’s families entered a singular hell.To have a father, brother or son dumped by a roadside, b
  
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• MI5 impeded inquiry into Stakeknife agent who murdered for IRA, says official report

  09-12-2025 18:36
  Nine-year investigation paints highly critical picture of agency’s handling of double agentWho was Stakeknife? MI5 mole at the heart of IRABritain’s security services allowed a top agent inside the IRA to commit murders and then impeded a police investigation into the affair, according to a damning official report.MI5 helped the double agent known as Stakeknife to evade justice from a “perverse sense of loyalty” that outlasted Northern Ireland’s Troubles, the police
  
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• Britain’s ‘golden egg’: how IRA agent Freddie Scappaticci was protected to the end

  09-12-2025 18:25
  ‘Agent Stakeknife’, who carried out sadistic killings then was helped to relocate to England, only once saw the inside of a courtroomMI5 impeded inquiry into Stakeknife agent who murdered for IRA, says official report‘I’m not going to hide again’: Stakeknife report met with relief by victims’ familiesWhen Freddie Scappaticci, 77, suffered the stroke on the morning of 16 February 2023 that would kill him, he had not worked for two decades.It was nevertheless in
  
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• Who was Stakeknife? MI5 mole at heart of IRA – timeline

  09-12-2025 13:21
  Agent who ‘committed grotesque, serious crime’ is widely believed to have been Freddie Scappaticci, who died in 2023The UK government has been urged to name the army’s top spy in the Provisional IRA after an independent investigation into his activities.Operation Kenova found that more lives were probably lost than saved through the operation of Stakeknife, an agent who “committed grotesque, serious crime” including torture and murder. Continue reading...
  
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• Prince Harry’s UK security under review after he wrote to Mahmood, reports say

  08-12-2025 13:15
  Home Office has reportedly ordered threat assessment amid long-running dispute over Duke of Sussex’s safetyUK politics live – latest updatesThe Duke of Sussex’s security arrangements while visiting the UK are reportedly to be reviewed after a direct request from him to the home secretary.Prince Harry, who lost a high-profile legal claim against the government over the decision to remove his right to automatic taxpayer-funded police protection, wrote privately to the home secret
  
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• UK terror watchdog warns national security plan ignores escalating online threats

  02-12-2025 07:00
  
  Independent reviewer says need to protect against online threats is now as important as need for robust armed forcesThe UK’s independent reviewer of terrorism laws has criticised the government’s latest national security strategy for failing to take online threats more seriously, despite Keir Starmer claiming it would result in “a hardening and sharpening of our approach” in the face of Russian menace.Jonathan Hall KC said it was “a very surprising omission” t
  
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• Sally Rooney says she will be unable to publish books in UK while Palestine Action banned

  27-11-2025 17:26
  Author tells high court her public support for group means her books could disappear from UK stores altogetherThe Irish author Sally Rooney has told the high court she is highly unlikely to be able to publish new work in the UK while the ban on Palestine Action remains in effect because of her public support for the group.On the second day of the legal challenge to Palestine Action’s proscription, the effect on Rooney, who said her books could disappear from UK stores altogether, was held
  
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• Ban on Palestine Action is repugnant and should be lifted, high court told

  26-11-2025 19:16
  Co-founder’s lawyer says group is part of an ‘honourable tradition’ of direct action and civil disobedienceThe proscription of Palestine Action is a repugnant, unprecedented and disproportionate interference with the right to protest, the high court has heard.On the first day of a legal challenge to the ban brought by co-founder Huda Ammori, her lawyer said the group had been engaged in an “honourable tradition” of direct action and civil disobedience prior to prosc
  
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• Replacement of judge in Palestine Action ban legal challenge ‘deeply concerning’

  25-11-2025 16:00
  Unusual last-minute change means panel of three will now hear case rather than Mr Justice ChamberlainConcerns have been raised after the judge who was expected to hear a legal challenge to the ban on Palestine Action was replaced at the last minute without explanation.Mr Justice Chamberlain had granted permission for the judicial review and said that he would preside over the trial but it has emerged that a panel of three different judges, convened as a divisional court, will instead hear the ca
  
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• MI5 ‘very relaxed’ about proposed Chinese super-embassy in London, sources say

  20-11-2025 19:34
  Senior Security Service officers told Commons speaker in private meeting they can tackle espionage risks MI5 officers told the House of Commons speaker at a private meeting that they can tackle the risks of a proposed Chinese super-embassy in London, opening the door to its approval.The Guardian understands that in a meeting held with Lindsay Hoyle in the summer, senior figures from the Security Service indicated they were “very relaxed” about the prospect of a 20,000 sq metre embass
  
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• UK holds talks with LinkedIn on clamping down on Chinese espionage

  19-11-2025 20:25
  Government wants social media platforms to be less attractive for foreign agents after recent intelligence warningsThe government is holding talks with LinkedIn on how it can clamp down on prolific Chinese espionage activity after a rare interference alert was issued by MI5.The National Protective Security Authority, which is part of the UK’s security services, is speaking to social media platforms about making them less attractive for foreign agents, a government official told the Guardia
  
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• Advisers told ministers banning Palestine Action could make it more popular

  11-11-2025 06:00
  Briefing paper warned proscription could also heighten Muslim-Jewish tensions and be seen as favouring IsraelMinisters banned Palestine Action despite being told by their advisers it could “inadvertently enhance” the group’s profile, an official government document shows.The briefing paper was written three months before the proscription of the group, which was set up to take direct action to halt UK arms supplies to Israel. Continue reading...
  
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• Legal experts and politicians criticise process used to ban Palestine Action

  10-11-2025 17:00
  Independent commission says definition of terrorism relied on by ministers is too broad and more parliamentary oversight is neededLegal experts, former government ministers and an ex-MI6 director have criticised the process used to ban Palestine Action.The members of an independent commission set up by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law said the definition of terrorism was too broad and better parliamentary oversight and judicial scrutiny was needed. Continue reading...
  
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• Lammy says he was not ‘equipped with the details’ when facing questions on mistaken prisoner release at PMQs – as it happened

  06-11-2025 18:22
  This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereDavid Lammy, the deputy PM and justice secretary, has welcomed the fact that Billy Smith is back in custody, but described the spike in release mistakes as “unacceptable”.According to PA Media, Lammy said:William Smith is back in custody. The spike in mistaken releases is unacceptable.We’re modernising prison systems – replacing paper with digital tools to cut errors. Continue reading...
  
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• Far-right extremists outnumber Islamists in anti-terror programme referrals, data shows

  06-11-2025 12:49
  Total referrals reach record high, with 21% being due to ‘extreme rightwing concerns’ and 10% to Islamist ideologyMore suspected far-right extremists were referred to the government’s anti-terrorism programme Prevent last year than those suspected of Islamist extremism, annual figures show.In total, 8,778 referrals were made because of suspicions of extremist radicalisation in the year to March 2025, 27% more than the previous year and the highest number of referrals in a singl
  
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• Counter-terror police investigate claim UK university halted research after Chinese pressure

  04-11-2025 01:08
  Sheffield Hallam University ordered professor to cease human rights study into Uyghurs forced labour in ChinaAn investigation into allegations that a British university was subjected to pressure from Beijing authorities to halt research about human rights abuses in China has been referred to counter-terrorism police.The Guardian reported on Monday morning that Sheffield Hallam University, home to the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice (HKC) research institution, had ordered professo
  
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• Government rules out public inquiry into Birmingham pub bombings

  30-10-2025 17:15
  Ministers suggest independent commission set up to investigate deaths related to Troubles could look into 1974 attackMinisters have ruled out establishing a public inquiry into the IRA’s 1974 Birmingham pub bombings.On 21 November 1974, 21 people were killed and 220 injured when bombs were detonated at the Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town pubs in Birmingham, in an attack widely believed to have been orchestrated by the Provisional IRA. Continue reading...
  
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