Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Anjem Choudary ordered to attend anti-extremism course

Radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary, who was recently freed from a UK jail after serving part of a sentence for inviting support to the ISIS, will now take part in a compulsory anti-extremism course, according to a media report.

Choudary, 51, was released earlier this month under very strict licence conditions from the high-security Belmarsh prison in south London after serving less than half of his five-and-a-half-year sentence for reported "good behaviour".


His early release prompted the UK government to move on closing a legal loophole that would not allow those convicted of inviting support for groups such as Islamic State (ISIS) to be eligible for early release in future.

According to The Times, it has now emerged that Choudary has been ordered to attend the government's Desistance and Disengagement Programme (DDP) as part of his probation.

The compulsory course requires him to receive mentoring and theological advice as part of the government's wider deradicalisation programme.

Failure to attend would result in Choudary being sent back to jail to complete his five-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

The DDP was run as a pilot scheme last year before its capacity was increased.

It involves tailored interventions and practical support and includes psychological sessions and theological and ideological advice.

It had been unveiled by UK home secretary Sajid Javid earlier this year as part of an updated Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

"Work to enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to withdraw and rehabilitate will be further developed, including through the expansion of the Desistance and Disengagement Programme, a new element of Prevent," the UK Home Office said.

"Through Prevent, the government, local authorities, police and communities will continue to safeguard and support vulnerable people from the risk of being drawn into terrorism, working with a wide network of partners to prevent radicalisation and build resilience," it noted.

Besides Choudary, referred to as a hate preacher, a total of 230 extremists and fighters who have returned from abroad are expected to take part in the DDP by the middle of next year.

UK-born Choudary was jailed at the Old Bailey court in London in September 2016 for radical preaching and urging Muslims to support the terror group ISIS.

He led the now-banned extremist group Al Muhajiroun and was accused of pledging an oath of allegiance to the ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

More For You

Fathers over 60 help 'reverse UK birthrate decline'

Photo for representation (Photo: iStock)

Fathers over 60 help 'reverse UK birthrate decline'

THE UK has recorded its first increase in births since 2021, with a notable rise in babies born to fathers over 60 helping to lift the numbers, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In 2024, there were 594,677 live births in England and Wales, up 0.6 per cent from the previous year. While this is a modest increase, it marks a change after several years of decline.

Keep ReadingShow less
Quad-leaders

The foreign ministers of the Quad — India, the US, Australia and Japan — met in Washington DC on Tuesday to outline priorities for the bloc’s annual summit to be held in India later this year. (Photo credit: X/@DrSJaishankar)

X/@DrSJaishankar

Quad condemns Pahalgam attack, flags China’s actions and Myanmar crisis

THE QUAD grouping has called for the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of the Pahalgam terror attack to be brought to justice without delay. The group also urged all UN member states to cooperate in the process.

The foreign ministers of the Quad — India, the US, Australia and Japan — met in Washington DC on Tuesday to outline priorities for the bloc’s annual summit to be held in India later this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Preventable' grid failure caused Heathrow fire, says report

FILE PHOTO: Airplanes remain parked on the tarmac at Heathrow International. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

'Preventable' grid failure caused Heathrow fire, says report

A FIRE that shut London's Heathrow airport in March, stranding thousands of people, was caused by the UK power grid's failure to maintain an electricity substation, an official report said on Wednesday (2), prompting the energy watchdog to open a probe.

The closure of Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, cost airlines tens of millions of pounds. It also raised questions about the resilience of Britain's infrastructure.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tributes paid to Asian mum who died in Leicester attack

Leicestershire Police

Tributes paid to Asian mum who died in Leicester attack

TRIBUTES have poured in for a 'kind-hearted' mother who tragically lost her life last week after being attacked in Leicester.

Nila Patel, 56, a British Indian woman described as a "beautiful, vibrant soul," died in hospital two days after suffering a head injury during an assault on Aylestone Road.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Sri Lanka to receive USD 350 million as IMF completes fourth review

THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) has completed the fourth review of Sri Lanka’s USD 2.9 billion bailout programme, allowing the country to access the next tranche of USD 350 million from the four-year facility.

The IMF had approved the nearly USD 3 billion bailout in March 2023 to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to restore macroeconomic stability, including fiscal and debt sustainability, during an unprecedented economic crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less