NewsBeat
Man jailed after downloading 3D printing gun instructions
The first Islamist extremist to be found with plans for 3D-printed firearms has been jailed for seven years after using a far-right internet channel to download the instructions.
Politics
Keir Starmer branded a ‘very dangerous man’ as PM raises ‘authoritarian’ fears with protest crackdown
Political commentator Aaron Bastani has issued a stark warning about Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, describing him as a “very, very dangerous man” who could quickly become “authoritarian”.
Speaking on GB News, Bastani expressed deep concerns about potential restrictions on protest rights under Starmer’s leadership.
“I think he’s a very, very dangerous man and I think he’d be a very authoritarian man very quickly,” Bastani said.
The commentator warned that attempts to criminalise protest could lead down a “slippery slope”.
Aaron Bastani is fearful of Keir Starmer cracking down on protests
GB NEWS / PA
The warning comes amid recent protests in London that saw significant police intervention.
Just days ago, 77 protesters were arrested during a pro-Palestine demonstration in central London.
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Pro-Palestine protesters have taken to the streets of London PAThe Metropolitan Police said the arrests followed “a coordinated effort to breach Public Order Act conditions and cause serious disruption to Londoners”.
The demonstration, which took place on the eve of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, was confined to a static rally in Whitehall after police rejected the organisers’ initially proposed route.
It marked the largest number of arrests at such rallies since they began in October 2023.
Bastani defended the fundamental importance of protest rights, regardless of political stance.
The matter was discussed on GB News
GB NEWS
“The right to protest is only meaningful if it applies to people you disagree with,” he told GB News.
He pointed to recent farmers’ protests as an example of positive democratic expression.
“If you look at the recent farmers’ protest, that was really powerful and positive in many ways to see so many people from around the country protesting their point of view and their rights at the heart of Government,” he said.
He stressed that protest rights shouldn’t be limited only to those whose views align with the authorities.
Bastani warned that restrictions on pro-Palestinian protesters could set a concerning precedent.
“If he’s doing this to Palestinian protesters, who do you think is next?” he questioned.
The political commentator emphasised that protecting fundamental rights was crucial for everyone.
“I think everybody should care deeply about the rights of free speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of protest, because it won’t stop here if this man is given a free hand,” he said.
His comments highlight growing tensions between protest rights and public order enforcement in the capital.
US President Donald Trump has warned he will impose high tariffs on Russian goods and impose further sanctions if it fails to end the war in Ukraine.
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, he said that by pushing to settle the war he was doing Russia, and its President Vladimir Putin, a “very big favour”.
Trump has previously said he would negotiate a settlement to the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, in a single day.
Russia has not yet responded to the remarks, but senior officials have said in recent days that there is a small window of opportunity for Moscow to deal with the new US administration.
Putin has said repeatedly that he is prepared to negotiate an end to the war, but that Ukraine would have to accept the reality of Russian territorial gains, which are currently about 20% of its land. Kyiv meanwhile says it is not prepared to give up its territory.
On Tuesday Trump told a news conference he would be talking to Putin “very soon” and it “sounds likely” that he would apply more sanctions if the Russian leader did not come to the table.
But in his Truth Social post on Wednesday, he went further: “I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR,” he wrote.
“Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal’, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”
Continuing, he said: “Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to “MAKE A DEAL”.”
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy earlier told Reuters news agency that the Kremlin would need to know what Trump wants in a deal to stop the war before the country moves forward.
Meanwhile Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the World Economic Forum on Tuesday that at least 200,000 peacekeepers would be needed under any agreement.
And he told Bloomberg that any peacekeeping force for his country would have to include US troops to pose a realistic deterrent to Russia.
“It can’t be without the United States… Even if some European friends think it can be, no it will not be,” he said, adding that no-one else would risk such a move without the US.
While Ukraine’s leaders might appreciate this tougher-talking Trump – they have always said Putin only understands strength – the initial reaction in Kyiv to the US president’s comments suggest that it is actions people are waiting for, not words.
Trump has not specified where more economic penalties might be aimed, or when. Russian imports to the US have plummeted since 2022 and there are all sorts of heavy restrictions already in place.
Currently, the main Russian exports to the US are phosphate-based fertilisers and platinum.
On social media, there was a generally scathing response from Ukrainians. Many suggested that more sanctions were a weak reply to Russian aggression. But the biggest question for most is what Putin is actually open to discussing with Ukraine at any peace talks.
In Moscow meanwhile, some people are seeing signs that the Kremlin may be readying Russians to accept less than the “victory” once envisaged, which included tanks rolling all the way west to the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa.
TV editor Margarita Simonyan, who is stridently pro-Putin, has begun talking of “realistic” conditions for ending the war, which she suggests could include halting the fighting along the current frontline.
That would mean the four Ukrainian regions that Putin illegally pronounced as Russian territory more than two years ago, like Zaporizhzhia, still being partially controlled by Kyiv.
Russian hardliners, the so-called “Z” bloggers, are furious at such “defeatism”.
In his social media post, Trump also couched his threat of tariffs and tighter sanctions in words of “love” for the Russian people and highlighted his respect for Soviet losses in World War Two – a near-sacred topic for Putin – though Trump massively overestimated the numbers and appeared to think the USSR was Russia alone. In reality, millions of Ukrainians and other Soviet citizens also lost their lives.
That said, the man who previously said he could “understand” Russia’s concerns about Ukraine joining Nato – which for Kyiv is tantamount to saying Putin was provoked – does seem to be shifting his tone.
Trump’s position matters. But after 11 years of war with Russia and a history of poor peace deals, Ukrainians are not inclined to be hopeful.
Politics
Kwasi Kwarteng accuses Liz Truss of desperate attempt to stay relevant in brutal swipe at former ally: ‘Pathetic!’
Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has branded Liz Truss’s appearance at Donald Trump’s inauguration as “pathetic” and “regrettable”.
Speaking on GB News, Kwarteng accused his former boss of attempting to “stay relevant” by attending the Washington DC event.
The ex-Chancellor took particular aim at those who previously held office but have lost their Commons seats, suggesting they were trying to “borrow Trump’s image”.
“These aren’t people who are Trump all the way”, Kwarteng said, drawing a contrast with figures like Nigel Farage who he noted had genuinely backed Trump since 2016.
Kwasi Kwarteng hit out at his former ally
X / LIZ TRUSS / GB NEWS
Truss travelled to Washington DC ahead of Trump’s inauguration, posing for a photo wearing a “Make America Great Again” baseball cap.
The former prime minister posted on social media platform X: “In DC. The Donald Trump term can’t come soon enough. The West needs it.”
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Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States
Reuters
The inauguration itself has faced last-minute changes due to expected freezing weather, significantly reducing attendance numbers.
While wealthy and influential figures are guaranteed seats at the event, it remains unclear whether Truss will be among those attending the ceremony in person.
Kwarteng specifically criticised Truss’s political transformation, noting her shift from being a Remainer to a Trump supporter.
“Liz Truss was a Remainer and has now morphed into a Brexit, Trump supporter”, he said on GB News.
Kwasi Kwarteng spoke to Martin Daubney on GB News
GB NEWS
He dismissed her Washington connections, stating: “She obviously has friends in Washington but trying to use this as a way of staying relevant I think is regrettable.”
The former Chancellor expressed particular disdain for ex-government members, “some of them Remainers, turning up to the inauguration”, adding bluntly: “Give me a break. These guys are trying to get in the limelight.”
Truss’s Washington appearance comes after she lost her parliamentary seat in the recent general election.
Her trip has sparked widespread mockery on social media, with critics drawing parallels between her appearance and Paddington Bear due to her red hat and blue coat combination.
The ridicule follows recent controversy where Truss sent a “cease and desist” letter to Keir Starmer over his comments about her crashing the economy.
The New European magazine commented: “Many people thought Liz Truss couldn’t embarrass herself further. But they seriously underestimated her on that front.”
Her 44-day tenure as Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister ended following the fallout from her disastrous mini-Budget.
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Downing Street has rebuked Elon Musk over a gesture he made during a rally for new US president Donald Trump, with the prime minister’s official spokesperson saying he “would not be happy” if a member of the government did similar.
On Monday, the tech billionaire gave a speech at a rally following the new president’s inauguration, in which he thanked Mr Trump’s supporters.
He then slapped his hand on his chest and extended his arm straight outward and upward with his palm facing downwards.
The Tesla mogul then turned around and made a similar gesture in the opposite direction.
Mr Musk has not explicitly denied claims the gesture looked like a Nazi salute, but hit out at his critics, writing on his X social media site that the “‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired”.
Asked about the gesture, the prime minister’s spokesman replied: “It is clearly for the individual to defend his own actions.
“When it comes to the government’s position on these issues, you have heard the prime minister speak passionately about his visit to Auschwitz and our plans ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day.”
Asked if Sir Keir would be happy if a member of his government gave a similar gesture, the spokesman replied: “Would he be happy if a member of the Government did a Nazi salute? No.”
He added: “The prime minister would not be happy with a member of the government doing a Nazi salute.”
When pressed whether this meant the government believed Mr Musk’s gesture was a Nazi salute, the spokesman replied: “I am saying it is up to Elon Musk obviously to respond to that.”
The billionaire – who will lead a US federal government cost cutting exercise in Mr Trump’s new administration – has had an uneasy relationship with Downing Street in recent months.
Mr Musk has repeatedly attacked ministers over the historical handling of the grooming gangs scandal in the UK.
In a slew of social media posts criticising the Labour government, Mr Musk attacked safeguarding minister Jess Phillips on social media after she declined a request from Oldham Council for a Whitehall-led inquiry into child sexual abuse in the town.
The Sun newspaper publisher has apologised and agreed to pay him damages
NewsBeat
Judi Dench says she can no longer leave home alone due to deteriorating eyesight | Ents & Arts News
Dame Judi Dench has revealed she can no longer leave her house alone due to her deteriorating eyesight.
The 90-year-old actress has macular degeneration, a condition which leads to a gradual loss of vision.
In a new interview on Trinny Woodall’s Fearless podcast, Dame Judi says “somebody will always be with me” when she leaves the house.
“I have to [have someone] now because I can’t see,” she continues. “And I will walk into something or fall over.”
Reflecting on how she used to feel about attending events alone, Dame Judi said she was “no good at that at all”.
“And fortunately, I don’t have to be [alone] now because I pretend now to have no eyesight,” she laughs.
In July 2023, Dame Judi said she was determined to work “as much as I can” despite her health issues.
“I mean, I can’t see on a film set anymore,” she told The Mirror’s Notebook magazine. “And I can’t see to read. So I can’t see much. But, you know, you just deal with it. Get on.”
Dame Judi with her daughter Finty Williams. Pic: PA
Dame Judi’s acting career began in the 1950s when she made her stage debut in a production of Hamlet at London’s Old Vic theatre.
In the decades since, she’s conquered the worlds of TV and film, winning an Oscar for her role in the 1998 movie Shakespeare In Love and, more recently, playing the head of MI6, M, alongside Daniel Craig’s James Bond.
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Dame Judi has also cemented herself as one of the UK’s best stage actresses, winning a string of Olivier awards for starring roles in plays including The Winter’s Tale and Macbeth.
Her most recent screen credit was in 2022, for a small role in Christmas film Spirited. She has continued to make public appearances and last October, she was a speaker at the Cheltenham Literary Festival.
Politics
Keir Starmer’s decision to blame Amazon for Axel Rudakubana failings is ‘puzzling’, Mendoza claims
The head of a leading think tank has accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of going down a “bizarre rabbit hole” of blame in his response to the Southport attack case.
Alan Mendoza, Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society, told GB News he was “puzzled” by Starmer’s approach to the failings that led to Axel Rudakubana’s deadly rampage.
NewsBeat
Watch outside court as Prince Harry agrees settlement with Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers
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Watch outside of court as Prince Harry today (22 January) agreed a settlement with Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers.
The Duke of Sussex finally agreed to settle his claim against the publishers of The Sun after eleventh-hour talks on the opening day of his trial went late into the night.
Prince Harry’s high-stakes trial was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, but both his and News Group Newspapers (NGN) legal teams made several bids to delay legal proceedings in order to “continue discussions.”
The proceedings were due to begin again at 10am on Wednesday, but the High Court was told the two sides had broken the deadlock with Harry agreeing to drop claims against Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers.
As the duke’s lawyer David Sherborne told the court an agreement had been reached, he read out an apology issued by NGN to Prince Harry.
The publishers offered “a full and unequivocal apology” to the duke “for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them”.
It added that the Sun and will pay “substantial damages” as the two sides settled their legal claim, Harry’s barrister has told the High Court.
At least 11 people have been killed and five injured after they fled rumours of a fire on board their train in India, only to be hit by another train.
Railway officials said the passengers got down from the Mumbai-bound train in western Maharashtra state after someone pulled the emergency cord, causing it to stop.
They were hit by a train on an adjacent track. It was not immediately clear whether there had actually been a fire.
India has launched a $30bn (£24bn) programme to modernise its railways in recent years but this has been marred by a series of accidents, including a major three-train crash in 2023 in the state of Odisha which left nearly 300 people dead.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in a post on X that he was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives” during the incident near Pachora in Jalgaon district, about 400km from Mumbai, India’s financial capital.
He said eight ambulances had been dispatched and hospitals were on standby.
The crash will be seen as a setback for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has called for modernisation of the railways to boost the economy and connectivity.
There are plans to boost spending on the programme in next month’s budget, Reuters news agency reports.
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