A REDHILL TEEN who planned a terror attack with a hunting knife was on Friday (28) jailed for six years for offences he committed when he was 16 and 17 years old.
Daesh supporter Haider Ahmed, 19, from Redhill in Surrey, was found guilty of preparing an act of terrorism at an earlier hearing at Kingston Crown Court. He was accused of planning an attack with a "massive" hunting knife and financing terror activity by travelling abroad.
The court heard that Ahmed, then a 17-year-old sixth form student, became radicalised by watching beheading videos.
Andrew Hall QC, who defended Ahmed, said: "He came across highly effective radicalisers who were fishing for the young, the isolated and the gullible. They found this boy in his bedroom in Surrey and he was brainwashed with a pernicious ideology and they turned him into their creature."
Sentencing, Judge Peter Lodder QC said: "I very much hope that you take advantage of the programmes available to you in prison and realise that radicalisation is not the way forward for you."
Outside court, Ahmed's sister said the government should take action on internet sites promoting Daesh ideology.
"My brother was only 16, even less than that, when he began searching all of this and it shouldn't have been accessible to him in the first place," she said. "I'm very disappointed there was not enough protection."
Det Ch Supt Kath Barnes, head of Counter Terrorism Policing South East, called Ahmed "a dangerous young man" who possessed a significant amount of "shocking material promoting a warped ideology."
Using forged documents claiming he had a law degree and a false CV, Rai gained employment at two law firms in Gloucestershire and a construction company in Bristol.
A 43-year-old man has been sentenced after using fake identity documents and forged academic certificates to secure jobs at law firms and a construction company.
Aditya Rai was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court to 20 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He had pleaded guilty to fraud, forgery, and identity-related offences.
The court heard Rai used a false passport and a fake UK driving licence under the name Ali Ryan, with a photo of himself and a false date of birth. He also opened bank accounts under the same false identity.
Using forged documents claiming he had a law degree and a false CV, Rai gained employment at two law firms in Gloucestershire and a construction company in Bristol. In total, he earned around £10,000 before resigning from one firm and being dismissed from another following reference checks, according to Gloucestershire Police.
He had previous convictions, which he concealed by using a false identity. A search of his home in June 2022 led to the seizure of his laptop, which contained fake documents and a forged driving licence.
Rai had been on remand since February 2025 after being arrested at a port with a false Irish licence. He was identified by his tattoos and arrested for failing to attend court.
He also admitted to an offence investigated by North Wales Police involving a fake Republic of Ireland driving licence. Two further fraud offences were taken into consideration.
A UK court on Thursday denied bail to fugitive Indian diamond businessman Nirav Modi, who sought release while awaiting extradition to India. Modi cited potential threats to his life and said he would not attempt to flee Britain.
Modi, 55, has been in custody in the UK since March 2019. He left India in 2018 before details emerged of his alleged involvement in a large-scale fraud at Punjab National Bank.
He denies any wrongdoing, according to his lawyer. His extradition to India was approved by UK courts, and his appeals, including a request to approach the UK Supreme Court, were rejected in 2022.
On Thursday, Modi’s lawyer Edward Fitzgerald told the High Court that the extradition could not take place for confidential legal reasons. "There are confidential legal reasons why (Modi) cannot be extradited," he said, without providing further details.
Representing Indian authorities, lawyer Nicholas Hearn opposed the bail application, arguing that Modi might try to escape or interfere with witnesses. Hearn referred to Modi’s past attempt to seek citizenship in Vanuatu as an indication he might flee.
Fitzgerald responded that Modi would not leave the UK due to fear of the Indian government. He mentioned alleged recent plots to target Sikh activists in the United States and Canada, which India has denied. He also cited India's alleged involvement in returning Sheikha Latifa, daughter of Dubai’s ruler, to Dubai in 2018.
"The reach of the Indian government for extrajudicial reprisals is practically limitless," Fitzgerald said. "The idea that he could go to Vanuatu ... and there be safe from the Indian government is utterly ridiculous. They would either send a hit squad to get him or they would kidnap him or they would lean on the government to deport him."
The Indian High Commission in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Judge Michael Fordham denied the bail plea, saying, "there are substantial grounds for believing that if released by me on bail ... (Modi) would fail to surrender".
Modi is wanted in India in connection with two linked cases — a major fraud at Punjab National Bank and alleged laundering of the proceeds.
His uncle Mehul Choksi, also linked to the case, was arrested in Belgium last month. Choksi has denied any wrongdoing.
(With inputs from agencies)
Keep ReadingShow less
Users across the UK report Sky TV not working during prime time
Sky TV customers across the UK faced widespread disruption on Thursday night, with issues continuing into Friday morning despite the company saying things were back to normal.
The problems, which began around 9pm, saw more than 30,000 users unable to access TV content. Most complaints were linked to Sky Q boxes crashing or freezing. Some viewers were stuck with error messages saying they couldn’t watch TV due to “connectivity issues” even though their internet seemed fine.
— (@)
By Friday morning, over 2,500 users were still reporting trouble, according to tracking site DownDetector. Most problems (87%) were TV-related, while a smaller number mentioned full blackouts or broadband issues.
DownDetector chart shows view of problems reported in the last 24 hours Downdetector
Sky said the issue stemmed from a technical glitch that pushed some Sky Q boxes into standby mode. “We’re sorry some customers had trouble accessing Sky Q,” the company said. “The issue was quickly resolved, and service has been restored.”
However, many users said otherwise. On social media and DownDetector, complaints kept coming in. Some said rebooting the Sky box worked temporarily, only for it to crash again. Others were irritated by the lack of updates from Sky, especially as the blackout clashed with the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final, a big night for live TV.
“I’ve restarted my box six times already. It just keeps going off again,” one user in Southport wrote. Another from Sheffield posted: “Still down this morning.”
Sky recommends a basic fix: unplug your Sky Q box from the power socket for 30 seconds, then turn it back on. For some, that’s worked. For others, the issue returns after a while.
Downdetector shows the most affected locations and problems Downdetector
Posting on X this morning, the official Sky account shared : "We are aware of some technical issues overnight that led to Sky Q boxes to go into standby mode. Our technical team worked quickly to investigate and restore service.
"If your Sky Q box is still stuck in standby please switch off your Sky Q box at the power socket for 30 seconds and back on again which will restore service. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused."
Sky’s own help page offers a few steps to try: reboot the box, check Wi-Fi, update the software, and make sure your remote and connections are working. But when none of that helps, users are left in the dark.
DownDetector, a platform that tracks service interruptions, showed how the problem spread and continued, even after Sky’s official fix.
This article was updated following Sky’s public statement issued on Friday morning.
Keep ReadingShow less
Disability campaigners from 'Dignity in Dying' hold placards as they demonstrate outside The Palace of Westminster during a gathering in favour of the proposals to legalise assisted suicide in the UK.
A PROPOSED law that would allow assisted dying for terminally ill people will return to parliament on Friday, with lawmakers set to debate a series of changes before a final vote on whether the bill should proceed.
In November, lawmakers voted 330 to 275 in favour of allowing assisted dying. If passed, the legislation would make Britain one of several countries including Australia, Canada, and some US states to permit assisted dying.
The bill allows mentally competent adults in England and Wales, who have six months or less to live, to end their lives with medical assistance. It has already been revised following detailed scrutiny.
A final vote on the updated bill will take place after Friday’s debate. The large number of proposed amendments means the session may continue next month.
Supporters of the bill point to opinion polls showing most Britons favour assisted dying and say the law should reflect public opinion. However, some lawmakers have raised concerns about protections for vulnerable people. Others argue that palliative care should be improved first.
The Telegraph and Guardian reported that some lawmakers who previously supported the bill are now reconsidering their position.
Prime minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is neutral on the issue. Lawmakers are free to vote based on their personal views rather than party lines.
A key change from the original version of the bill is the removal of the requirement for court approval. Instead, a panel including a senior legal figure, a psychiatrist and a social worker would decide whether a person is terminally ill and capable of making the decision.
Any further changes to the bill will need to be approved through separate votes. If Friday’s debate runs out of time, the discussion could continue on June 13, before the final vote.
If passed, the bill will move to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.
In 2015, lawmakers rejected similar legislation by 330 votes to 118.
The current bill does not apply to Northern Ireland or Scotland. On Tuesday, the Scottish parliament voted in favour of a similar proposal, which will now move forward for further consideration.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Keep ReadingShow less
India's defence minister Rajnath Singh said, 'I believe a big portion of the $1 billion coming from IMF will be used for funding terror infrastructure.'
INDIA's defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should reconsider its decision to approve a $1 billion loan to Pakistan, alleging that Islamabad was using the funds to support terrorism.
"I believe a big portion of the $1 billion coming from IMF will be used for funding terror infrastructure," Singh told troops at an air force base in western India. "I believe any economic assistance to Pakistan is nothing less than funding terror."
India and Pakistan had engaged in missile, drone and artillery strikes last week before a ceasefire began on Saturday.
The IMF last week approved a review of its loan programme for Pakistan, unlocking about $1 billion and approving a further $1.4 billion bailout. India objected to the decision but abstained from the review vote.
India, which represents Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on the IMF board, said in a finance ministry statement that it had "concerns over the efficacy of IMF programmes in case of Pakistan given its poor track record".
Pakistan was on the verge of default in 2023 amid a political crisis and economic downturn. The IMF extended a $7 billion bailout to Pakistan last year, its 24th such assistance since 1958.
Singh said, "It is now clear that in Pakistan terrorism and their government are hand in glove with each other.
"In this situation there is a possibility that their nuclear weapons could get their way into the hands of terrorists. This is a danger not just for Pakistan but the entire world."
The recent fighting between India and Pakistan began on May 7, when India launched strikes on what it called "terrorist camps" in Pakistan. The strikes followed an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people.
India blamed Pakistan for supporting the terrorists it said were responsible for the attack. Pakistan has denied the charge.
The four-day exchange of missiles, drones and artillery killed around 70 people on both sides, including dozens of civilians.