
Stonehenge Just Stop Oil protester asks for trial not to clash with Oxford exams
The pair allegedly threw powder over the ancient monument in Wiltshire just before the summer solstice.
Appearing at Salisbury Crown Court on Wednesday, Ms Lynch and Mr Naidu denied one count of destroying or damaging an ancient monument and one count of intentionally causing a public nuisance.
But during discussions to fix a trial date, Audrey Mogan, defending, asked that May and June are avoided for Ms Lynch's studies.
Ms Mogan said: 'Niamh Lynch is an
A third protester, Luke Watson, 35, is jointly accused with Lynch and Naidu but did not appear at court.
A 10-day trial will be held in October this year.
His Honour Judge Rufus Taylor told Lynch and Naidu: 'Your trial will be on October 20 at Winchester Crown Court, keep in touch with your solicitors because they will want your counsel. You must attend your trial.'
Previously it has been reported that Ms Lynch was a geography student at the University of Oxford and a youth representative at the British Trust for Ornithology, which is the study of birds.
A website for Oxford's Nature Conservation Society states she is co-president. On the page, she says: 'Hello I'm Niamh, a third-year geographer.
'My favourite Oxford bird is the Swift, my favourite Oxford flower is the Bee-Orchid, and my favourite Oxford place is Boundary Brook.'
Ms Lynch is from Turvey, Bedfordshire, Mr Naidu is from Birmingham, and Mr Watson is from Manuden, Essex.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Ofcom receives complaints after LBC host James O'Brien read out antisemitic message about Jewish children - as he issues apology
An LBC radio presenter has apologised for reading out a listener's message claiming Jewish children in Britain are taught to view Arabs as 'cockroaches to be crushed'. James O'Brien sparked fury for reading the antisemitic comments without challenging them while discussing the conflict in Gaza during yesterday's programme. The 53-year-old host was allegedly sent the message from someone called Chris in Oxford who said his wife had been taught at a 'Shabbat school' in Hertfordshire. The listener claimed she was also told 'one Jewish life is worth thousands of Arab lives'. Mr O'Brien read out the message before a shortened version was shared by LBC on social media, then deleted after a furious backlash from Jewish organisations. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was a 'modern blood libel on national radio', and communications regulator Ofcom has received a number of complaints. When reading out the message yesterday, Mr O'Brien said: 'I'm fascinated by objectivity, which is why I'm going to read out this from Chris, because you do find yourself wondering how people can be looking at the same world you're looking at and arriving at such completely different conclusions. 'The polling we looked at in Ha'aretz, displaying support not just for ethnic cleansing, but also for genocide, on levels that many of us would find terrifying. 'And of course it's not confined, as Chris writes from Oxford – 'I'm loving the show' – thank you, Chris – 'and the high quality of callers today, but I do think it's worth saying that these warped views are not just an Israeli problem. ''My wife was brought up Jewish and at Shabbat school in a leafy Hertfordshire town she was taught that one Jewish life is worth thousands of Arab lives, and that Arabs are cockroaches to be crushed. ''Whilst young children are being taught such hatred and dehumanisation, undoubtedly on both sides' – as Chris points out – 'then they will always be able to justify death and cruelty, and it does indeed start young. There is a danger perhaps that we only ever hear one side of the dehumanisation and propaganda processes'.' A shortened version of this was then shared by LBC in a social media video post, with the caption: ''At Shabbat school, my wife was taught that one Jewish life is worth a thousand Arab lives'. Listener Chris outlines to James O'Brien the 'danger' of 'propaganda processes' spreading.' What did James O'Brien say on LBC? Original broadcast yesterday 'I'm fascinated by objectivity, which is why I'm going to read out this from Chris, because you do find yourself wondering how people can be looking at the same world you're looking at and arriving at such completely different conclusions. The polling we looked at in Ha'aretz, displaying support not just for ethnic cleansing, but also for genocide, on levels that many of us would find terrifying. And of course it's not confined, as Chris writes from Oxford – 'I'm loving the show' – thank you, Chris – 'and the high quality of callers today, but I do think it's worth saying that these warped views are not just an Israeli problem. My wife was brought up Jewish and at Shabbat school in a leafy Hertfordshire town she was taught that one Jewish life is worth thousands of Arab lives, and that Arabs are cockroaches to be crushed. Whilst young children are being taught such hatred and dehumanisation, undoubtedly on both sides' – as Chris points out – 'then they will always be able to justify death and cruelty, and it does indeed start young. There is a danger perhaps that we only ever hear one side of the dehumanisation and propaganda processes'.' Apology today 'This is very important. At this time yesterday on the show, I read out a message from a listener called Chris who said that his wife had been brought up in the Jewish faith and had attended what he described as a 'Shabbat school'. He went on to make further claims about what he said she had been taught in that school. As with all the texts and messages that I read out on the programme, I did so in good faith, but the message has understandably upset a lot of people, and I regret taking those unsubstantiated claims at face value, and I'm genuinely sorry for that. It is very important that I get that out there, and thank you for your attention.' This post has since been deleted by LBC. But the comments sparked fury, with the Jewish Leadership Council describing the unchallenged read-out as 'irresponsible and dangerous journalism'. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was 'urgently seeking a meeting with senior executives' at LBC, and called on the station to take Mr O'Brien off air. And the Jewish News pointed out that 'while there is certainly a concept of 'Sunday school', or 'cheder', for Jewish children, there is no such thing as 'Shabbat school'.' The broadcast has also allegedly been reported to the Metropolitan Police - with one complaint claiming the programme spread 'lies about Jews', according to The Telegraph. Ofcom confirmed to MailOnline that it had received complaints about the content, which were now being assessed. While Mr O'Brien presented his show as normal today, he addressed the controversy at 11.48am, which was the same time he read out the message yesterday. He said: 'This is very important. At this time yesterday on the show, I read out a message from a listener called Chris who said that his wife had been brought up in the Jewish faith and had attended what he described as a 'Shabbat school'. 'He went on to make further claims about what he said she had been taught in that school. 'As with all the texts and messages that I read out on the programme, I did so in good faith, but the message has understandably upset a lot of people, and I regret taking those unsubstantiated claims at face value, and I'm genuinely sorry for that. 'It is very important that I get that out there, and thank you for your attention.' A Campaign Against Antisemitism spokesman told MailOnline today: 'This was a modern blood libel on national radio, amplified by a host who likely wouldn't think twice about cutting off the statement were it promoting such grotesque falsehoods about another minority. No such generosity for the Jews. 'The suggestion that one 'side' of this conflict is the genocidal monsters of Hamas who slaughtered 1,200 people and took some 250 hostage, and the other 'side' is the Jewish community in Hertfordshire, is not only a baseless fiction and totally repugnant but to broadcast it is unbelievably reckless. 'It is practically an invitation to disaffected people to target Jews in the UK – why not, if they are a 'side' in this conflict? It is deplorable the depths that some talkshow hosts will sink to inflame their listeners and drive up ratings. The consequences are borne by British Jews. We are formally complaining to Ofcom. 'While we welcome LBC's deletion of the post and Mr O'Brien's apology, perhaps he might take a break from moralising to the nation and reflect on why a listener like that understood that his was exactly the right show to promote this bile, and why Mr O'Brien himself was only too ready to treat the claims as entirely plausible and convenient to his narrative. 'What does that say about his own prejudices and views on certain topics to which British Jews are particularly sensitive?' After yesterday's broadcast, a Jewish Leadership Council spokesperson said: 'For James O'Brien to uncritically read out this outrageous claim as the truth is irresponsible and dangerous journalism. 'At a time of heightened antisemitism when synagogues and Jewish schools require increased security, the threat created by such unsubstantiated claims is real. LBC must urgently investigate and explain how this was allowed to be read out by their presenter.' Andrew Gilbert, vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, added: 'We are urgently seeking a meeting with senior executives following the completely unacceptable and highly offensive comments made by James O'Brien on his LBC show today. 'Broadcasting such a transparent falsehood and demonising the British Jewish community – at a time when antisemitism in this country is at terrifyingly high levels – must have clear consequences. LBC should apologise and take Mr O'Brien off the air.' An Ofcom spokeswoman told MailOnline today: 'We are assessing the complaints against our rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.' MailOnline has also contacted LBC and the Metropolitan Police for comment.


Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Telegraph
Car stocks surge as Trump agrees trade deal with Japan
7:04AM Good morning Thanks for joining me. Shares of car makers have surged higher after Donald Trump announced the US has agreed a trade deal with Japan. Here is what you need to know. 5 things to start your day Donald Trump announces 'massive' trade deal with Japan | Tokyo will invest $550 billion in the US in exchange for lower tariffs Labour's great rail revival has already hit the buffers | The decision to relaunch just one defunct train line has sparked anger and frustration across Britain Laws to allow UAE stake in The Telegraph approved by Lords | Peers vote to let foreign states take passive shareholdings in British newspapers of up to 15pc Mike Lynch's estate faces bankruptcy over £700m fraud ruling | Judge orders late tech tycoon's estate to compensate HP over 2011 sale of his software company Nuclear fusion start-up claims to have cracked alchemy | Silicon Valley company says discovery marks 'beginning of a new golden age' What happened overnight Japanese shares surged to a one-year high as the country struck a trade deal with the United States that lowers tariffs on its cars. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said a trade deal with Tokyo will include Japan paying a lower-than-threatened 15pc tariff on shipments to the US. It followed an agreement with the Philippines that will see the US collect a 19pc tariff rate on imports from there. Mr Trump also said representatives from the European Union were coming for trade negotiations on Wednesday. That stirred hopes for a deal with Europe, even as the EU was reportedly refining countermeasures in case of a deadlock before the August 1 deadline. Japan's Nikkei bolted 3.9pc higher as shares of carmakers surged on news the deal would cut the US car tariff to 15pc, from a proposed 25pc. Mazda Motor rallied 17pc, while Toyota Motor jumped 13.6pc. South Korean carmakers also rallied as the Japan deal fuelled optimism over potential progress in tariff negotiations between South Korea and the United States. Wall Street inched to another record on Tuesday following some mixed profit reports, as General Motors and other big US companies gave updates on how much Mr Trump's tariffs are hurting or helping them. The S&P 500 added 0.1pc to the all-time high it had set the day before, closing at 6,309.62. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4pc to 44,502.44. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.4pc from its own record, to 20,892.68.


South Wales Guardian
16 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Hewlett-Packard lost hundreds of millions in Autonomy acquisition, judge rules
The technology firm, now known as Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE), sued the British entrepreneur for around five billion US dollars following its purchase of Cambridge-based Autonomy for 11.1 billion dollars (£8.2 billion) in 2011. The company claimed at a nine-month trial in 2019 that Mr Lynch inflated Autonomy's revenues and 'committed a deliberate fraud over a sustained period of time', which it said forced it to announce an 8.8 billion dollar (£6.5 billion) write-down of the firm's worth just over a year after the acquisition. In a ruling in 2022, Mr Justice Hildyard said the American firm had 'substantially succeeded' in their claim, but that it was likely to receive 'substantially less' than the amount it claimed in damages. He said that Autonomy had not accurately portrayed its financial position during the purchase, but even if it had, HPE would still have bought the company, but at a reduced price. A hearing was then held last year to decide the amount that Mr Lynch must pay in damages, before the businessman died aged 59 along with his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, and five others when his yacht, the Bayesian, sank off the coast of Sicily last August. On Tuesday, Mr Justice Hildyard ruled that HPE suffered losses amounting to £697,876,753 through the purchasing of Autonomy, some of which is set to be paid by Mr Lynch's estate. He also ruled that Mr Lynch's estate is liable to pay part of around 47.5 million dollars in damages, which is worth around £35 million. Some of the money is due to be paid by Sushovan Hussain, Autonomy's former chief financial officer, who was also sued by HPE. He was convicted in April 2018 in the US of wire fraud and other crimes related to Autonomy's sale, and was sentenced to five years in prison. While he has since settled HPE's claim, he could still be required to pay damages. A further hearing to deal with matters including interest, currency conversion and whether Mr Lynch's estate can appeal against the decision is set to be held in November. Handing down his ruling, Mr Justice Hildyard expressed his 'great sympathy' for Mr Lynch's family, calling his death a 'tragedy'. He said: 'It is a source of anxiety to me that I have to deliver a judgment that will inevitably cause further stress on those involved.' In the 197-page ruling, he said he considered that HPE's claim 'was always substantially exaggerated' and that the five billion dollars figure claimed 'was not based on detailed analysis'. Following the ruling in 2022, Mr Lynch, who was also the founding investor of cybersecurity giant Darktrace, was extradited to the US in May 2023 to face criminal charges after his removal was approved by the then-Home Secretary Priti Patel. He was cleared of accusations that he orchestrated a fraud and conspiracy over Autonomy's sale in the US in June 2024, and was celebrating the acquittal on his yacht at the time of his death. In a statement written before his death, issued posthumously by his representatives on Tuesday, Mr Lynch said: 'Today's High Court ruling reflects that HP's original five billion dollar damages claim was not just a wild overstatement – misleading shareholders – but it was off the mark by 80%. 'HP acquired Autonomy for 11.6 billion dollars and today's judgment is a view that Autonomy's actual value was not even 10% below the price HP paid. 'This result exposes HP's failure and makes clear that the immense damage to Autonomy was down to HP's own errors and actions. 'An appeal process will be considered later this year. 'The English civil case included hearsay evidence from the US and we were never able to question or cross-examine those witnesses. 'This is in direct contrast to the rights of defendants in the US legal system. 'When in the US criminal trial we were able to cross-examine the relevant witnesses, a very different story emerged. Why is the English legal system so trusting?' A spokesperson for HPE said: 'We are pleased that this decision brings us a step closer to the resolution of this dispute. 'We look forward to the further hearing at which the final amount of HPE's damages will be determined.' Jeremy Sandelson, who was appointed by the court as administrator of Mr Lynch's estate, said he would be 'examining the judgment carefully', including whether to appeal both the 2022 ruling and the judgment on Tuesday.