<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- generator="" -->
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
    <channel>
        <title>Islam Times - Latest News UK :: Full Edition</title>
        <description><![CDATA[Produced by: Islam Times]]></description>
        <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/europe/uk</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2026 06:35:02 GMT</lastBuildDate>
        <generator></generator>
        <image>
            <url>https://www.islamtimes.com/skins/default_ltr/en/normal/ch01_newsfeed_logo.gif</url>
            <title>Islam Times - Latest News UK :: Full Edition</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/europe/uk</link>
            <width>100</width>
            <height>70</height>
            <description><![CDATA[Produced by: Islam Times]]></description>
        </image>
        <language>en</language>
        <copyright>Copyright (c) Islam Times, all rights reserved.</copyright>
        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2026 06:35:02 GMT</pubDate>
        <category>UK</category>
        <ttl>60</ttl>
        <atom:link href="https://www.islamtimes.com/rssau.dg4t64qddth9e,gc7.g14.t6umk4f564.lf.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
        <item>
            <title>UK Energy Debt Crisis Deepens for Millions Ahead of Price Cap Rise</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1286472/uk-energy-debt-crisis-deepens-for-millions-ahead-of-price-cap-rise</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The poll, conducted for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, found the figure rises to 45 percent for parents with a child under 18, and 35 percent for disabled people, The Independent reported.

Among those in energy debt, the median amount owed to an energy supplier was &pound;750. Worryingly, 13 percent of those in debt or concerned about missing payments owed money to &quot;someone who makes them feel scared&quot;, rising to 24 percent among those already in arrears.

Desperate measures have been taken by those in energy debt: 32 percent tried to use less energy by turning off heating or taking shorter showers, 25 percent kept their homes at uncomfortable temperatures, and 21 percent missed rent or mortgage payments. More than one in five (21 percent) have skipped meals, while 18 percent turned to a foodbank for support to cope with costs or arrears.

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition found supplier support for struggling households had been &quot;mixed&quot;, and while 15 percent of those in arrears had been referred to a hardship fund and 15 percent were on a repayment plan, 13 percent reported having no contact from their supplier in the past 12 months.

Less than one in five (18 percent) of those in arrears felt they had been treated fairly by their supplier and just 8 percent had been referred to debt advice.

Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, condemned the situation, stating, &quot;These figures lay bare the true cost of years of failure to fix energy debt caused by the sharp increases in bills. Millions of people are in debt to their energy company or worried about falling behind, and yet the price shock profiteers are posting billions in profits.&quot;

He added, &quot;The figures also show that this is a can&#39;t pay crisis, not a won&#39;t pay one. Very few people who are in energy debt are also in high-earning households. Instead, it is ordinary people who are skipping meals, visiting foodbanks and, most alarmingly, resorting to risky forms of borrowing just to keep the lights on. The energy industry, which has caused this debt through its profiteering, must be made to contribute to clearing this debt mountain.&quot;

Janine Michael, chief executive of the Centre for Sustainable Energy, echoed these concerns, &quot;At the Centre for Sustainable Energy, we speak to people every day who are struggling to keep up with their energy bills &ndash; not because they won&#39;t pay, but because they can&#39;t.&quot;

She urged, &quot;The long-awaited energy debt relief scheme must be brought forward urgently, and people in debt need access to proper debt advice, not just a letter from their supplier. But debt relief alone is a sticking plaster. The real fix is reducing the amount of energy households use in the first place through proper investment in energy efficiency and phasing out gas. Until we address that, we&#39;ll be having this same conversation next winter.&quot;

The survey, conducted by Opinium between May 29 and June 1, polled 2,000 UK adults. Of these, 9 percent were behind on payments to their energy supplier, with a further 22 percent &ndash; approximately 12 million people &ndash; expressing worry about falling into arrears.]]></description>
            <category>UK</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2026 05:34:20 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1286472/uk-energy-debt-crisis-deepens-for-millions-ahead-of-price-cap-rise</guid>
            <enclosure url="https://www.islamtimes.com/images/docs/001286/n01286472-b.jpg" length="156307" type="image/jpeg"/>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>UK to Supply Enriched Uranium to Ukraine</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1286456/uk-to-supply-enriched-uranium-ukraine</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The arrangement, backed by UK Export Finance, will enable British-based Urenco to supply enriched uranium to Energoatom for the next two years, London said on Monday. The deal was agreed to by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky at Downing Street last week, RT reported.

According to the British government, the agreement is intended to &ldquo;power Ukraine&rsquo;s nuclear plants&rdquo; and strengthen the country&rsquo;s energy security.

Starmer said London will continue to back Kiev &ldquo;for as long as it takes,&rdquo; despite a string of corruption scandals involving Ukraine&rsquo;s energy sector, including Energoatom itself, which operates three Soviet-built nuclear power plants and remains a major source of revenue.

Western-backed anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine have uncovered graft schemes at the state nuclear operator, including a major case linked to businessman Timur Mindich, who was known as &lsquo;Zelensky&rsquo;s wallet&rsquo;. A separate graft case involving Energoatom-linked infrastructure was reported earlier this month.

The deal also comes amid repeated warnings from Moscow over nuclear safety in Ukraine. Russia has accused Kiev of conducting attacks on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, which has been under Russian control since March 2022.

Earlier this month, a Ukrainian drone struck the machine hall of the plant&rsquo;s sixth power unit. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the damage while stopping short of assigning blame.

The UK&rsquo;s plans could also draw renewed scrutiny of Kiev&rsquo;s repeated hints about revisiting its non-nuclear status. Days before the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, Zelensky suggested that Ukraine could reconsider its non-proliferation obligations.

Earlier this year, Zelensky said he would accept nuclear weapons from Britain or France &ldquo;with pleasure,&rdquo; while insisting that an offer has not been made. Moscow has accused London and Paris of considering ways to provide Ukraine with components or technologies that would allow it to develop a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb, which France and the UK deny.

&nbsp;]]></description>
            <category>UK</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2026 05:05:57 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1286456/uk-to-supply-enriched-uranium-ukraine</guid>
            <enclosure url="https://www.islamtimes.com/images/docs/001286/n01286456-b.jpg" length="200233" type="image/jpeg"/>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Britain ‘Faces Deindustrialisation’ without Relief from High Energy Prices, Survey Warns</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1286047/britain-faces-deindustrialisation-without-relief-from-high-energy-prices-survey-warns</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The manufacturers&rsquo; body Make UK said the latest feedback from its members found that many would not be able to cope for much longer with energy costs that were twice the average in continental Europe and four times higher than in the US, The Guardian reported.

A survey revealed that a quarter of manufacturing companies either planned to move their production overseas or had already done so, while one in 10 companies believed it was likely or very likely they would be insolvent within the next 12 months.

Stephen Phipson, the trade body&rsquo;s chief executive, said that although factory output had remained robust over the previous quarter, businesses were gloomy about the outlook, largely in response to the war against Iran and rising oil and gas prices, and confidence had dived to a four-year low.

&ldquo;The time for talking is over. The time for action is now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Britain faces deindustrialization unless manufacturers get relief from high energy prices. Electricity and gas in the UK are far too expensive and it&rsquo;s costing our country steeply. We cannot afford to be delayed by political upheaval, or by further consultations.&rdquo;

Almost half (46%) of industrial companies have been hit by a further increase in their energy bills since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, with six in 10 passing this rise on to customers, according to the survey. However, despite raising prices, almost all companies (98%) told Make UK that they expected to experience a significant squeeze on their profitability over the next quarter.

In response to falling profit margins, almost four in 10 (38%) companies have delayed investment and more than a fifth (21%) have reduced their headcount, according to the survey.

About 800 of the UK&rsquo;s 130,000 manufacturing companies are large and mostly foreign-owned. Phipson said larger businesses were moving production overseas to countries in mainland Europe and Asia where they could benefit from cheaper energy costs, while mostly smaller domestic firms were forced to cut investment and jobs to stay afloat.

Make UK is calling on the Treasury to cover the cost of taxes and levies paid by industrial businesses, using funds from general taxation as in France and Germany, so Britain&rsquo;s industrial base can begin to recover.

About 50% of the bills paid by industrial businesses &ndash; amounting to &pound;3bn &ndash; are made up of government carbon taxes and levies used to cover the extra costs of upgrading the national electricity grid, according to Phipson.

In April the government extended a subsidy scheme that reduces bills by up to 25% for 10,000 companies that qualify as heavy users of energy. However, the British industrial competitiveness scheme (Bics) only takes effect in April 2027, and even though the subsidy is backdated to this year, Phipson said it would come too late for many firms.

He said many of the companies that would stand to benefit from the government&rsquo;s scramble to raise defense spending might already be bankrupt or have moved abroad unless energy bills were quickly reduced.

Paul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, joined Make UK&rsquo;s call for action, saying thousands of well-paid jobs, many in some of the poorest areas of the UK, were at risk. He called for the Bics scheme to be expanded further &ldquo;to protect jobs and keep factories and plants running&rdquo;.

Britain&rsquo;s gas and electricity prices are intertwined because of a system of marginal pricing that means gas used in electricity generation, which mostly comes from renewables and nuclear, dictates the final price of electricity. The government recently indicated that it planned to review the policy but has yet to outline how and when marginal pricing could be abolished or reformed.

The UK is more reliant on gas than other countries. A report by the House of Commons library earlier this month showed that in 2024, gas accounted for 30% of the UK&rsquo;s electricity generation compared with 16% in Germany and 3% in France.

Phipson said the survey found that more than half of respondents had yet to see any benefits from the government&rsquo;s industrial strategy set out last summer.

A government spokesperson said: &ldquo;Our manufacturing industries are vital to the UK&rsquo;s success and economic growth, but we recognize the challenges they are facing, including on the cost of energy.

&ldquo;We are tackling this through our modern industrial strategy, cutting electricity costs for industries across Great Britain, and announcing new support for the chemicals and ceramics industries. We will continue to work closely with manufacturing businesses across the UK to ensure we&rsquo;re doing what we can to help them through tough times.&rdquo;]]></description>
            <category>UK</category>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 06:01:03 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1286047/britain-faces-deindustrialisation-without-relief-from-high-energy-prices-survey-warns</guid>
            <enclosure url="https://www.islamtimes.com/images/docs/001286/n01286047-b.jpg" length="247773" type="image/jpeg"/>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Why Is UK Prime Minister Moving Closer to Political Collapse Every Day?</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/article/1286035/why-is-uk-prime-minister-moving-closer-to-political-collapse-every-day</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, entered office claiming he would resolve economic crises, enhance his country&#39;s global position, and rebuild London&#39;s ties with the European Union. However, following the Labour Party&#39;s heavy defeat in local elections in April&ndash;May, he has faced a wave of opposition, accompanied by the resignation of several ministers and cabinet members. The Epstein case, along with the scandal involving the UK ambassador to the US and some of Starmer&#39;s associates, has further intensified the crisis.

A major blow to Starmer came with the resignation of Healey, the defense secretary, and his deputy for the armed forces. Although the dispute appears to center on the military budget, it is in fact viewed as part of a broader effort within the Labour Party to remove Starmer and appoint a new prime minister in order to ensure the party&#39;s survival.

Although Starmer has claimed that he will not resign and will fight for his political survival, his actions reflect a pattern of disorder and confusion that, alongside his struggle to remain in power, paints a picture of the fragile state of the UK&#39;s economy and political system.

Starmer Between Pressure from Zionist Lobby and Public Anger

UK leaders, like some of their counterparts in Europe and the US, have long regarded reliance on the Zionist lobby as a key factor in gaining and maintaining power and have consistently emphasized support for it. The UK has been among the most important suppliers of weapons to the Zionist regime and has never condemned the regime&#39;s genocide in Gaza, warmongering, occupation, and crimes from Lebanon to Iran. Under the influence of the same lobby, London even refrained from condemning the tragedy that resulted in the martyrdom of 168 schoolchildren in Minab.

In line with this policy, the UK government, citing legislation framed as combating racism, moved to arrest supporters of Palestine. At the same time, global revulsion toward the Zionist regime has become so widespread that even European governments and the US can no longer openly support it. In this context, Britain has tightened its regulations concerning Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Under the new measures, British companies and citizens are no longer permitted to engage in economic activities in those settlements

Starmer now finds himself in a difficult position. Responding to public demands in support of Palestine provokes a reaction from the Zionist lobby, while supporting the Zionist regime fuels greater public protests.

Ukraine: Starmer&#39;s Achilles&#39; Heel and Dead End of Russophobia

One of the main drivers of public dissatisfaction with the Starmer government is its policy toward the Ukraine war. The enormous costs of the conflict and the use of taxpayers&#39; money to further enrich military cartels, while the war has brought nothing but deeper economic and energy crises for the UK, have fueled public anger and contributed to Labour&#39;s electoral setbacks.

The Ukraine war has become Starmer&#39;s Achilles&#39; heel, yet he continues to view anti-Russia policies as a tool for projecting strength and ensuring his political survival. Early Sunday morning, the UK stopped a tanker allegedly linked to Russia&#39;s shadow fleet in the English Channel for the first time. In a joint statement, the Prime Minister&#39;s Office and the Ministry of Defense announced that British military personnel and law enforcement officers conducted a six-hour operation to inspect the sanctioned tanker &quot;SMYRTOS&quot; in the English Channel and temporarily moved it to an anchorage off England&#39;s southern coast.

Keir Starmer also stated in a post on X that he had instructed the country&#39;s armed forces to stop the tanker, which was allegedly linked to Russia&#39;s shadow fleet and was transiting the English Channel.

Dan Jarvis, the UK&#39;s new defense secretary, claimed that Russia relies on its shadow fleet to finance the Ukraine war and that the operation dealt a blow to Moscow&#39;s financial resources.

Starmer&#39;s direct involvement in the case and his effort to place himself at the center of the media narrative, which amounts to a display of power against Russia, can be seen as a faint hope for extending his political survival through Russophobia. However, his insistence on supplying weapons to Ukraine undermines this display of strength and may further increase pressure for his resignation.

London&#39;s Clear Contradiction Toward Iran: From Threats to Welcoming an Agreement

Another noteworthy aspect of Starmer&#39;s conduct concerns his positions regarding US-Zionist warmongering against Iran and developments related to the Strait of Hormuz. While the UK has played a negative role in the UN Security Council and the IAEA Board of Governors and has advanced claims such as planning for mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively acting as a complement to the warmongers and aggressors targeting Iran, and while it has officially declared that its bases are available to the US for actions against Iran, it has simultaneously welcomed reports of a preliminary agreement between Iran and the US.

In a statement, the UK Prime Minister&#39;s Office announced: &quot;Keir Starmer spoke this afternoon with US President Donald Trump.&quot;

According to the statement, &quot;The Prime Minister expressed his support for President Trump&#39;s efforts to end the conflict with Iran and welcomed the progress that has been made.&quot;

This dual approach comes despite the fact that any closure of the Strait of Hormuz could further worsen the UK&#39;s economic crisis. Nevertheless, British leaders continue to operate under the illusion that pressure can yield concessions, even though Iran&#39;s steadfastness has rendered this tool ineffective.

London is now hoping, contrary to its previous approach, to reduce domestic economic and political pressures through what it calls an &quot;Iran-US agreement,&quot; claiming a role in reopening the Strait of Hormuz and seeking relief through a form of shock therapy, even though only days earlier it was speaking to Tehran in the language of threats and hostile conduct.

These contradictions, together with a broader chain of the UK&#39;s domestic and foreign policy behavior, reflect Starmer&#39;s crisis-ridden position. He is a politician acting with haste, relying on trial and error in search of a way to avoid political downfall. Yet experience within the UK&#39;s political system has shown that individuals are readily sacrificed to preserve party interests. During Conservative rule, several prime ministers were replaced within a matter of months, and the party ultimately suffered a heavy defeat in parliamentary elections, handing power to Labour. Today, Labour itself faces a deep crisis and is at risk of being pushed out of the cycle of power.

&nbsp;]]></description>
            <category>UK</category>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 05:46:38 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.islamtimes.com/en/article/1286035/why-is-uk-prime-minister-moving-closer-to-political-collapse-every-day</guid>
            <enclosure url="https://www.islamtimes.com/images/docs/001286/n01286035-b.jpg" length="227935" type="image/jpeg"/>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>UK Detains So-Called ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker Smyrtos in English Channel: PM Starmer</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285972/uk-detains-so-called-shadow-fleet-tanker-smyrtos-in-english-channel-pm-starmer</link>
            <description><![CDATA[According to the statement, Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency officials boarded the detained vessel as part of the first ever operation of this kind, TASS reported.

Open public sources state that the Smyrtos tanker is flying the flag of Cameroon. The 243-meter vessel is currently anchored near the British island of Portland in the English Channel off the coast of Dorset in the southwest of the country and is inspected for possible environmental risks or security threats.

There has been no information provided as of yet regarding the crew of the vessel.]]></description>
            <category>UK</category>
            <pubDate>Sun, 14 Jun 2026 20:13:12 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285972/uk-detains-so-called-shadow-fleet-tanker-smyrtos-in-english-channel-pm-starmer</guid>
            <enclosure url="https://www.islamtimes.com/images/docs/001285/n01285972-b.jpg" length="125516" type="image/jpeg"/>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Far-Right, Anti-Racist Protesters Clash in UK Cities after Belfast Riots</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285870/far-right-anti-racist-protesters-clash-in-uk-cities-after-belfast-riots</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Several people were arrested on Saturday afternoon as far-right groups clashed with anti-racist and anti-fascist demonstrators in Brighton, Liverpool, Sheffield and Glasgow, The Guardian reported.

Homes and vehicles were set on fire in Belfast this week after Stephen Ogilvie, 44, lost an eye after a knife attack in the city on Monday evening. Hadi Alodid, 30, originally from Sudan, has been charged with attempted murder.

This week, five people were also jailed for violent disorder after riots broke out in Southampton in response to the death of Henry Nowak.

Nowak, an 18-year-old student, was arrested in error over false racism claims while dying of stab wounds inflicted by Vickrum Digwa, a British Sikh. The protests took place earlier this month, shortly after Digwa was jailed for Nowak&rsquo;s murder.

On Saturday, a protest was held in Sheffield by Raise the Colors, which describes itself as a &ldquo;grassroots movement for unity and patriotism&rdquo; and campaigns against illegal immigration.

South Yorkshire police said five people were arrested. Four men have been accused of public order offences, while another was arrested on suspicion of assault. A 17-year-old boy was detained after an alleged attack on an emergency worker.

Supt Charlotte Bloxham said the force&rsquo;s operation was &ldquo;complicated by a counter-protest group which did not adhere to conditions in place&rdquo;.

However, she added that officers &ldquo;were able to safely manage the protest and counter-protest throughout&rdquo;.

In Brighton the anti-immigration group South East Patriots and counter-protesters from an event called Carnival against Fascism took to the streets.

South East Patriots said it was calling for stronger border control, enforcement of immigration laws, and the deportation of illegal immigrants.

More than 20 anti-racist groups took part in the counter-demonstration, including the DJ Fatboy Slim. They said they were coming together to &ldquo;ensure a united resistance&rdquo; and to show &ldquo;the far right are not welcome in Brighton&rdquo;.

Footage of minor skirmishes between the two groups circulated on social media, with tensions concentrated around Brighton railway station.

The far-right demonstrators, many of whom were draped in the flag of St George and the union jack, were contained by the police on Terminus Road, which runs alongside Brighton railway station. Counter-protesters faced off with them through the gates of the station, with both groups trading insults and songs.

A Sussex police spokesperson confirmed that officers had arrested a man on suspicion of breaching the peace and assaulting a police officer. Another man was detained in relation to an alleged public order offence in a separate incident at the same protest, the force said.

In Liverpool, protesters clashed in the Walton area of the city, as rightwing groups led chants calling for mass deportations. Merseyside police said they had arrested a man on suspicion of breach of the peace.

The unrest took place as Andy Burnham said the UK was on a path towards the &ldquo;poisonous&rdquo; politics of the US under the current Labor leadership.

During a campaign speech on Saturday, the mayor of Greater Manchester said discourse was becoming more polarized and &ldquo;communities don&rsquo;t work together any more&rdquo;.

Burnham, who hopes to return to Westminster in next week&rsquo;s Makerfield byelection, asked people attending the speech: &ldquo;Does anyone here feel that we can just stay on the path that we&rsquo;re on as a country?

&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t feel doable, does it? It doesn&rsquo;t feel that we&rsquo;re heading in the right direction. It doesn&rsquo;t feel like we&rsquo;re heading to better lives for people.

&ldquo;Things are getting harder, and politics is getting more polarized, and the path we&rsquo;re on, if we are not careful, is a path towards the politics of the United States of America, a polarized, poisonous politics where people in communities don&rsquo;t work together any more.&rdquo;

Also on Saturday, rival protesters clashed in Glasgow after thousands descended on the city for a &ldquo;reclaim our streets&rdquo; demonstration organized by Stand Up to Racism.

The anti-racism protesters gathered near a significantly smaller group of counter-protesters who were fenced off from the main group by police.

Some in the counter-protest group performed what appeared to be Nazi salutes as the two groups gathered in the city centre.

Most of the counter-protesters, who were almost exclusively men, wore balaclavas or other face coverings.

The scene became tense as police tried to contain counter-protesters who had attempted to breach the barriers.

Projectiles, including drink cans, were thrown towards the Stand Up to Racism group, while an egg appeared to be thrown towards the counter-protesters.]]></description>
            <category>UK</category>
            <pubDate>Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:39:37 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285870/far-right-anti-racist-protesters-clash-in-uk-cities-after-belfast-riots</guid>
            <enclosure url="https://www.islamtimes.com/images/docs/001285/n01285870-b.jpg" length="215442" type="image/jpeg"/>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>British Court: Terror Law Used Against Palestine Action Activists</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285758/british-court-terror-law-used-against-palestine-action-activists</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The defendants took part in a raid on an &quot;Elbit&quot; Systems factory near Bristol in 2024. After ramming the gate with a decommissioned prison van, they destroyed computers, drones, and other equipment inside, causing around &pound;1.2 million [$1.6 million] in damage.

Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Zainab Rajwani, 21, were found guilty of criminal damage last month, with Corner also convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a police officer with a sledgehammer.

Handing down the sentences on Friday, Mr. Justice Johnson said that due to the &ldquo;terrorist connection&rdquo; of the offenses, all four would receive harsh punishment.

Notably, none of the four were charged with terror-related offenses, and by sentencing them as terrorists, Johnson set a new precedent in British law.

&ldquo;I am sure that one of the purposes of your offending was to influence the United Kingdom government&hellip; and was for the purpose of advancing a political or ideological cause,&rdquo; Johnson told the defendants during Friday&rsquo;s hearing.

Head and Kamio were jailed for six years, Rajwani for five years and eight months, and Corner for eight years and eight months.

Palestine Action, a protest group whose members have vandalized British military equipment and &quot;Israeli&quot;-linked sites, was declared a proscribed organization by the British government last July.

The decision placed Palestine Action in the same category as Al Qaeda and the IRA, and criminalized public displays of support for the organization.

As the sentences were handed down, several hundred Palestine Action supporters protested outside Woolwich Crown Court in London. Police arrested more than 100 demonstrators for holding signs and placards endorsing the group.

The proscription was ruled unlawful by London&rsquo;s High Court in February, although the designation remains in force pending a final judgment.]]></description>
            <category>UK</category>
            <pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 19:18:18 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285758/british-court-terror-law-used-against-palestine-action-activists</guid>
            <enclosure url="https://www.islamtimes.com/images/docs/001285/n01285758-b.jpg" length="329886" type="image/jpeg"/>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Survey: UK Public Inflation Expectations Surged After War on Iran</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285576/survey-uk-public-inflation-expectations-surged-after-war-on-iran</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The public&#39;s median expectation for the ⁠rate ⁠of inflation in ⁠the year ahead increased to 4% from 3.2% in ⁠February, Reuters reported.

For inflation in five years&#39; time, expectations rose to 3.9% in May ⁠from 3.7% in February - their highest level since ⁠BoE records for this time series began in 2009 and far above the BoE&#39;s target for consumer price inflation of 2.0%.

BoE policymakers monitor the public&#39;s inflation ⁠expectations carefully for signs that price pressures are becoming permanently embedded in consumer behaviour.]]></description>
            <category>UK</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 22:51:17 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285576/survey-uk-public-inflation-expectations-surged-after-war-on-iran</guid>
            <enclosure url="https://www.islamtimes.com/images/docs/001285/n01285576-b.jpg" length="302371" type="image/jpeg"/>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Poll: Half of Britons Want A Second Vote on Brexit</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285573/poll-half-of-britons-want-a-second-vote-on-brexit</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The study by Ipsos, King&#39;s College London and UK in a Changing Europe found much of the public was open to rapprochement with the EU, with almost half backing a closer relationship and 60 percent wanting more co-operation on defence, The Independent reported.

The research also suggested attitudes over the past 10 years have changed towards both the EU and the referendum itself.

The number of people who say Brexit is going worse than they had predicted has almost doubled in the past five years, from 27 percent in 2021 to 48 percent today &ndash; more than those saying it was going as well as or better than expected.

While two-thirds of the public in 2016 thought David Cameron was right to call the referendum, that figure has now fallen to 43 percent, while the number saying it was the wrong decision has risen from 24 percent to 38 percent.

Similarly, there is more backing for a second referendum, with 48 percent now saying they would support one, against 27 percent who would oppose it.

Even a fifth of Reform UK voters and a quarter of those who voted Leave in 2016 would back a second vote, the study found.

Proposing a new referendum on EU membership would also increase the number of people willing to consider voting Labour at the next election from 31 percent to 45 percent, while just 27 percent said an offer to maintain the status quo would encourage them to vote for the party.

But attitudes towards the EU remain &quot;complex&quot;, said Ipsos research director Keiran Pedley.

He said, &quot;On face value there is openness to greater alignment and rule-taking to facilitate a stronger trading relationship but arguments about sovereignty &ndash; especially when it comes to immigration &ndash; remain persuasive.&quot;

While 53 percent of the public said they would support a return to freedom of movement in exchange for access to the EU single market, framing the question in terms of sovereignty found people prioritised control of immigration over relations with the bloc.

Some 52 percent said they preferred total border control and a more limited relationship with the EU, against 38 percent saying the opposite thing.

Professor Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, said the research showed there was &quot;no easy option when it comes to the EU relationship&quot;, with each possibility presenting &quot;clear trade-offs&quot;.

But despite the shift in attitudes towards the EU, Professor Bobby Duffy of King&#39;s College London said opinions were moving &quot;glacially slowly&quot;, adding, &quot;At this rate, it&#39;ll be many more years before we get to a clearcut demand for change.&quot;

The debate over Britain&#39;s EU membership has been reignited after former Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the country should rejoin as part of his pitch to lead the Labour Party.

Streeting &ndash; who is expected to launch a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer after quitting the government &ndash; last month said Britain&#39;s 2016 decision to leave the European Union was &quot;a catastrophic mistake&quot; and argued that the UK should seek to rejoin.

&quot;We need a new special relationship with the EU, because Britain&#39;s future lies with Europe, and one day &ndash; one day &ndash; back in the European Union,&quot; he said.

It comes after The Independent revealed that the bloc could fast-track Britain&#39;s return if it decided to rejoin, dispelling suggestions the UK would be pushed to the back of the queue if it tried to reverse Brexit.

Sandro Gozi, the chair of the European delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly, said that the European Union would see a request to rejoin from the UK as a &quot;major victory for the European project&quot;, insisting that there would be a way to fast-track it.

Brussels sources confirmed the UK&#39;s potential re-accession could take place much more quickly than it would for other candidate countries, due to its significant pre-existing alignment with the bloc.

The study polled 2,245 adults across Great Britain between May 15 and 20 this year.]]></description>
            <category>UK</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 22:47:32 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285573/poll-half-of-britons-want-a-second-vote-on-brexit</guid>
            <enclosure url="https://www.islamtimes.com/images/docs/001285/n01285573-b.jpg" length="175406" type="image/jpeg"/>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>'Massive Body Blow' as UK PM Loses His Defence Secretary, More Departures Follow</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285570/massive-body-blow-as-uk-pm-loses-his-defence-secretary-more-departures-follow</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The departure of Healey from the top post has been labelled a &quot;massive body blow&quot; to the prime minister by the former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman. His exit was followed hours later by Carns, who quit soon after a live interview with Sky News.

Baroness Harman said Healey&#39;s departure &quot;pulls the rug&quot; from under the view that Starmer &ndash; who has struggled at home &ndash; has been a success on foreign policy.

Starmer has sought to take a leading role on issues such as a potential post-war peacekeeping force in Ukraine, and weaning NATO&#39;s European members off reliance on the US.

Baroness Harman was speaking to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast hours after Healey announced his resignation over the prime minister&#39;s spending plans for transforming the armed forces.

In his damning resignation letter, the now ex-defence secretary told the prime minister, &quot;This era for defence required further investment through the defence investment plan.&rdquo;

&quot;The excellent and extensive cross-government work that completed in January &ndash; overseen by you, me and the chancellor &ndash; confirmed the scale of the challenge and the rising demands on defence,&rdquo; he added.

&quot;Since then, you have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats,&quot; he said.

Healey has been replaced by former security minister Dan Jarvis.

Carns also submitted a resignation letter on Thursday night, saying &quot;it has become clear to me that the change I had pushed for is not going to come&quot;.

Appearing on Sky&#39;s The Cathy Newman show less than an hour before, he said the prime minister&#39;s defence spending plan &quot;isn&#39;t enough&quot;, and he &quot;wasn&#39;t happy with the level of transformation in it&quot;.

In between, Labour MP Pamela Nash quit as Healey&#39;s parliamentary assistant at the Ministry of Defence.

Starmer has defended his defence investment plan, the publication of which has been delayed for months, prompting concern from military chiefs and industry leaders.

In his response to Healey&#39;s letter, Starmer described the plan as &quot;an unprecedented increase in defence spending in a sustainable way&quot;.

News understands the Treasury has offered the Ministry of Defence (MoD) around an additional &pound;13bln over four years to help fund the purchase of new jets, submarines, ships, drones and missiles.

As reported by security and defence editor Deborah Haynes, this is at the lower end of a range of between &pound;12bln and &pound;18bln that had been under consideration &ndash; and far short of the actual sum of extra money that the military believes it needs to rebuild its hollowed-out ranks at a time of escalating threats.

Baroness Harman described Healey&#39;s resignation as &quot;a massive body blow&quot;.

She said, &quot;The thing about John Healey is he was regarded as a very successful defence secretary, commanding the respect and confidence of the armed forces; a good communicator about what was going on in the armed services; and, I think, well respected by Labour MPs and across the House [of Commons].&rdquo;

&quot;And also, he was not seen as a schemer or a plotter, not out for his own interests [or] trying to do things to advance his leadership potential, but just a loyal and dedicated cabinet member in the position of secretary of state for defence. And so that makes him a big loss,&quot; she added.

Baroness Harman knows Healey well &ndash; the pair served together in parliament from 1997 to 2024 and were in Ed Miliband&#39;s shadow cabinet together from 2010 to 2011.

On what her former colleague&#39;s resignation means, Baroness Harman said, &quot;Often people would have said about Keir Starmer, &#39;Well, he hasn&#39;t done so well back here in this country, but what he&#39;s done abroad, what he&#39;s done on defence, has worked&#39;. He&#39;s been seen as a good and successful figure. In NATO, he stood up well on decisions in relation to Ukraine.&rdquo;

&quot;And so to have this criticism about how he&#39;s worked on the non-domestic things pulls the rug out from under his feet on what he&#39;s done abroad, as well as the problems that he&#39;s faced here at home,&quot; she added.

She went on to say that Healey&#39;s resignation &quot;puts more pressure on Rachel Reeves&quot; as chancellor because people will be asking why she didn&#39;t &quot;come up with the spending that was necessary&quot;.

But more broadly, the former deputy Labour leader said, &quot;Keir Starmer himself has said the first duty of the prime minister is to keep the country safe. And what John Healey said in his resignation letter is that you are making the country less safe. And that&#39;s why it&#39;s so devastating.&quot;]]></description>
            <category>UK</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 22:40:24 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1285570/massive-body-blow-as-uk-pm-loses-his-defence-secretary-more-departures-follow</guid>
            <enclosure url="https://www.islamtimes.com/images/docs/001285/n01285570-b.jpg" length="229162" type="image/jpeg"/>
        </item>
    </channel>
</rss>
