Latest news with #UKAct
LeMonde
13-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
More than 70 arrested at UK protests in support of banned group Palestine Action
More than 70 people were arrested Saturday at protests in the UK against the Palestine Action group being called a terrorist organization by the British government following a break-in and vandalism at a Royal Air Force base. In London, the Metropolitan Police said 42 people had been arrested by late afternoon. All but one of the arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organization, which police have said includes chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos. Another person was arrested for common assault. A further 16 arrests were made in Manchester, according to Greater Manchester Police, while South Wales Police said 13 people were also held in Cardiff. In London, it was the second straight week that protesters gathered to support the pro-Palestinian activist group. Its outlawing has meant that support for the organization is deemed a criminal offense. Police arrested 29 people at a similar protest last weekend. Two groups gathered underneath both the statues of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi and South Africa's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela, in Parliament Square. Signs with the wording 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,' were held aloft in silence as the protesters were surrounded by police officers and members of the media. Some demonstrators could be seen lying on top of each other on the ground as police searched their bags and took away signs. Officers could then be seen carrying away a number of protesters who were lying down, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square. The official designation earlier this month of Palestine Action as a proscribed group under the Terrorism Act 2000 means that membership in the group and support for its actions are punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Some 81 organizations are already proscribed under the UK Act, including the militant groups Hamas and al-Qaida. The government moved to ban Palestine Action after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England, on June 20, damaging two planes using red paint and crowbars in protest at the British government's ongoing military support for Israel in its war in Gaza. Police said that the incident caused around 7 million pounds ($9.4 million) of damage. Four people between 22 and 35 years old were charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the UK. The four are scheduled to appear on July 18 at the Central Criminal Court in London, better known as the Old Bailey.
ITV News
22-05-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Peril in the palm: the concerning impact and digital danger of smartphones on children
After weeks of planning with Beaulieu School we launched an experiment taking phones away from unknowing pupils for a fortnight. In the weeks running up to the day, we asked for permission from parents without the children's knowledge. Out of 90 girls in the year group, only 11 of their parents agreed. When the girls entered the room with their phones, they had no idea they would be leaving without them. That being said - all of them agreed to take part with one of them saying "I know I'm addicted - I know I am. It's just no one has ever tried to stop me." Before saying their goodbyes, I wanted to know how much time they spend scrolling and messaging on each day. The highest average daily screen time was five hours and 58 minutes - or a quarter of her day. For context, that is higher than my own screen time as a journalist using a phone for work. Another student went on to tell me that she had once spent 23 hours in a week solely on TikTok. GP and author Dr Susanna Davies says phones are "designed to be addictive" and wants both parents and governments to better protect children's well-being. I asked them if they had come across any harmful content while scrolling online, and their answers ranged from content and comments about suicide to sexually inappropriate material - and a reminder that these students are just 13 and 14 years old. Research by the Children's Commissioner for England says almost three-quarters of teenagers between 13 and 17 have encountered one or more potential harms online. Meanwhile the average age at which children first see pornography is just 13 years old. Although parents can manage settings on some devices to help protect their children's well-being, there are growing calls for governments to introduce laws to restrict the amount of harmful content that is often readily available for children and young people to access online. The UK's Online Safety Act will come into force in July, but Jersey currently has no similar legislation after opting to build its own laws independently. The UK Act involves a series of rules aiming to protect children from content relating to topics including suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and pornography. Beaulieu teacher Mr Harris hopes the ITV News experiment can help highlight how difficult it is to control what children can access online. He told ITV News: "I've got an 11-year-old at home, who will be starting secondary school in September, and he's just got his phone. "We're very strict at home, so we monitor his apps, but I'm sure there are lots of parents with the best will in the world who will not be able to monitor and police that."
