BEWARE OF RUSSIAN WINDOWS
Senior Russian military official ‘plunges 16 storeys to her death falling from window’

Andy Gregory
Fri, 17 February 2023 at 1:44 am GMT-7·2-min read

Senior Russian military official ‘plunges 16 storeys to her death falling from window’

A senior military official in Russia heavily involved in funding Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has reportedly plummeted 16 storeys to her death in St Petersburg.

The body of Marina Yankina was found on the pavement below an apartment building in the city’s Kalininsky district shortly before 8am on Wednesday morning, according to local reports.

The 58-year-old was finance director of the Western Military District, one of the five geographical battalions which comprise Russia’s army, the leader of which Mr Putin has replaced multiple times since invading Ukraine last February.

The Western Military District confirmed one of its employees had died, but refused to comment further – instead pointing local outlets to the authorities investigating her death.

Ms Yankina called her ex-husband to let him know she was about to jump, and told him that she was leaving her documents and packed belongings on the balcony, a local Telegram news channel claimed, adding that “the motives continue to be clarified”.

Her personal belongings were left on a common balcony on the building’s 16th floor, according to Tsargrad TV, a self-styled Russian Fox News, whose founder is sanctioned by the West.

Reports from Russia were conflicted over whether or not Ms Yankina lived in the building.

She previously worked at Russia’s Federal Tax service, and rose to the position as chief of finance within five years of joining the Western Military District as an entry-level staff member, investigative outlet Meduza said, citing local reports.

She is the second senior Russian military official to die this week in circumstances reportedly deemed a suicide by authorities.

Major General Vladimir Makarov, who reportedly led the oppression of journalists, opposition activists and protesters in his role at the Main Directorate for Combating Extremism, was claimed to have shot himself on Monday, a month after being relieved of his post by Mr Putin.

Yankina's death comes after a number of Russian officials have died in unusual or unexplained circumstances since Putin launched his unprovoked war on Ukraine nearly a full year ago.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, pointed this out in a tweet on Thursday about Yankina's death.

Putin critic and sausage tycoon Pavel Antov died after falling out of a window at a hotel in India in December. Last September, 67-year-old Russian energy oligarch Ravil Maganov also died after falling from a hospital window, Insider reported at the time.

UK

Sizewell C developer EDF reveals underlying loss of £4.44bn


Dominic Bareham
Fri, 17 February 2023 

Sizewell C developer EDF has registered an underlying loss of £4.44bn (Image: Archant)

The parent company behind the new Sizewell C nuclear power station has revealed an underlying loss of £4.44bn due to a decline in nuclear output, mainly in France.

However, EDF Energy's UK arm registered an underlying profit of £1.12bn in 2022, compared with a loss of £21m in 2021, mainly due to improved performance in nuclear energy output.

The firm's UK consumer energy supplier lost more than £200m in the year as the cost of buying energy was higher than the prices set by the Government's energy price cap, which limits the average household cost of energy and gas to £2,500 annually.

But the problems in France caused by a decline in nuclear output due to stress corrosion, along with the price caps on charges to consumers, had resulted in the firm buying electricity at a time when market prices were high.

This led to the fall in overall profits.

EDF's chief executive Luc Remont said: "The 2022 results were significantly affected by the decline in our electricity output, and also by exceptional regulatory measures introduced in France in difficult market conditions.

"Despite all the challenges, EDF actively focused on service and support for all its residential and business customers and made every endeavour to ensure the best generation fleet availability for the winter period."

He added the 'priority' was to improve EDF's financial position and he was 'confident' that actions taken to address the situation would bring benefits in 2023.

A spokesperson for Sizewell C said: "The results do not impact the Sizewell C project."

In the autumn, chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in the budget that the Government would be providing £700m towards the £25bn cost of Sizewell C.

The two turbine reactor aims to generate low-carbon energy for six million homes over the next 60 years.

Alison Downes, spokesperson for campaign group Stop Sizewell C, which is opposed to the project, said: "EDF now admits that Hinkley Point C is expected to cost over £32bn in today's money and there are still almost five years of construction to go.

"Government officials have admitted privately that they expect Sizewell C to cost more than £30bn and here is that proof.

"With offshore wind at least five times cheaper, the Treasury should take note and save us from yet another expensive mistake."

Some NHS Scotland staff could get 19pc pay rise over two years in bid to end strikes

Lizzie Roberts
Fri, 17 February 2023

NHS nurses stage a protest outside Glasgow Royal Infirmary last summer to call for a better pay deal - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Some NHS staff in Scotland could receive a 19 per cent pay rise over two years after the Scottish government put forward a new offer to end strike action.

Around 160,000 health service staff in Scotland, including nurses, midwives, and paramedics, will be offered an average 6.5 per cent pay increase in 2023/24. The £568 million package offered by the Scottish government is the largest in NHS history, and will also include a one-off payment of between £387 and £939.

When combined with the 2022/23 pay offer, some staff, such as experienced hospital porters, could receive a 19.1 per cent pay increase over two years. Experienced paramedics and nurses could receive 13.2 per cent and 12.4 per cent respectively.


The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and other health unions are now considering the offer. Strike action in Scotland was paused by the RCN while negotiations with the Scottish government took place.

Humza Yousaf, the Scottish health secretary, said the new offer meant NHS staff in Scotland are “far and away the best paid anywhere in the UK”.

It comes after the RCN announced a significant escalation of its strike action in England on Thursday after the UK Government refused to negotiate on pay. The latest action will include 120 NHS employers, with staff walking out for 48 hours from March 1.

Separately, thousands more ambulance workers in England have voted to strike in the long-running dispute over pay and staffing. Announcing re-ballot results, the Unison union said staff at another four English ambulance services and five NHS organisations including NHS Blood and Transplant would now be able to strike in a “significant escalation” of the dispute.

The 12,000 staff involved in the re-ballots can now take part in strike action alongside their NHS colleagues at ambulance services in London, Yorkshire, the North East, the North West and the South West.

The GMB also announced on Friday that its ambulance members in Wales had rejected an offer from the Welsh government that saw an extra three per cent added to the existing deal. Around 1,500 workers will now join a strike on Monday by almost 10,000 other GMB members across England.

Nathan Holman, the GMB Welsh official, said: “We thank the Welsh government for actually entering talks – but if this is their final offer, it’s too low for our members.”

When the offer was put forward by the Welsh government earlier this month, Eluned Morgan, the health minister, said it was “the maximum we can afford to make”.

The RCN in England previously demanded a 19 per cent pay increase for nurses, but in recent weeks softened its stance and indicated that it would be prepared to meet the government “half way”.

Commenting on the escalation of action in England, Christina McAnea, the Unison general secretary, said: “It’s time the Prime Minister ditched his do nothing strategy for dealing with escalating strikes across the NHS.

“Governments in other parts of the UK know what it takes to resolve disputes. Ministers in Scotland and Wales are talking to health unions and acting to boost pay for NHS staff this year, and Holyrood is really showing Westminster up.

“Sadly, health workers across England have been met with a wall of silence from Number 10. The Prime Minister stubbornly refuses to talk about pay, preferring to subject everyone to many months of disruption.”

Chair of Natural England worries ‘endlessly’ about companies greenwashing

Danny Halpin, PA Environment Correspondent
Fri, 17 February 2023 

The chair of Natural England Tony Juniper said he worries about companies greenwashing “endlessly” after a meeting of international delegates discussing how to use private finance to achieve biodiversity goals.

Hosted by the UK Government, the event saw delegates from international corporations, indigenous groups, financial institutions, civil society and government ministers from around the world meet to discuss using private capital to honour the Cop15 biodiversity agreement made in Montreal, Canada, in December.

The US Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources, Monica Medina, joined the UK Environment Secretary Therese Coffey at the event on Friday – as did representatives from HSBC, Blackrock, AstraZeneca, WWF and the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative.

In Montreal, delegates set a target of protecting 30% of the world’s lands, seas, coasts and inland waters by 2030 and paying for it by mobilising 200 billion US dollars (£167 billion) a year.

Countries also pledged to ensure a flow of 20 billion dollars (£16.5 billion) to developing countries by 2025 – rising to 30 billion dollars (£24.7 billion) by 2030.

Speaking to the PA news agency as the delegates left for a reception with the King at Buckingham Palace, Mr Juniper said all private sector organisations have a role to play in reaching these targets, from farmers practising sustainable agriculture, water companies protecting water quality, house builders ensuring their projects boost nature recovery and pension funds investing in net-zero projects.

He said: “I think it’s important for companies in all sectors to look at the overall impacts they’re causing on the environment to understand the risks and costs that arise from those impacts for them, as well as society, and then to develop strategies to be able to do something about it.

“And this isn’t just about some kind of charitable donation or some kind of marginal project that they can do alongside mainstream business. This is about transforming the core business.

“This does feel like a bit of a turning point because all of this stuff’s on the table today and people are talking about it in ways which are getting much more practical. And it wasn’t like that 10 years ago, not even two years ago.”

Asked whether he worries about companies using these financial agreements to greenwash, he said: “Yes, endlessly.

“Often the easiest thing to do if you’re under pressure to do something – which is transformative and which is challenging and which looks costly in the short term – is to come up with something which is more about communications and substance and there’s a long track record of that going back 30 years to my certain knowledge.”



Delegates were divided into four roundtable discussion groups, focusing on how to attract private finance to support countries’ conservation targets, mobilising capital to fund habitat restoration, the benefits of using plant and animal genetic information and scaling up sustainable food systems.

Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, CEO of the Global Environment Facility, described the discussion he chaired as a “very productive session”.

He summed up to the other delegates: “One key element that came up in our room is that the private sector is sitting on top of billions, billions of dollars, waiting for government to create the right framework.”

Dame Amelia Fawcett, chair of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, said the three overarching themes arising from the talks were the need to accelerate the net-zero transition, the importance of the role of private finance in decarbonisation and the need to scale up “high-integrity investments” along with the flow of finance to achieve global biodiversity goals.

Amazon Indigenous leader Domingo Peas presents a gift to the King during a reception (Kin Cheung/PA)

Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife Countryside Link, said: “To halt the decline of nature by 2030 we’ll need every major industrial sector not just to compensate for environmental harm, but to contribute to recovery.

“We are too far down the road of ecological losses for offsetting. Water companies, for example, should be given responsibility for boosting nature across the freshwater environment.

“This means addressing nutrient, chemical, and sewage pollution, alongside restoring nature in the wider catchment areas of rivers.”

Tanya Steele, WWF’s chief executive, added: “Today’s meeting made clear that governments, the private sector and charities all recognise that the ambitious goal for nature set at COP15 in Montreal is just a first step, and what’s crucial now is keeping momentum.

“We know our planet is running out of time and we must act now to tackle systemic issues that are driving nature’s decline such as how we grow and produce food, as well as ensuring critical funding for our most precious ecosystems.

“Only then can we hope to protect and restore nature and bring our world back to life.”

One in three parents are skipping breakfast so their kids can eat, study finds

Beril Naz Hassan
Fri, 17 February 2023 

Parents are having to make tough decisions to make sure their kids are fed, study finds (Providence Doucet/Unsplash)

A new study has revealed that nearly one in three parents (31%) are making the decision to skip breakfasts so that they have enough food to give to their children.

The research, conducted by Quakers, also found that 19 per cent of Brits have used a food bank or the free food available at donation points to feed themselves and their family.

Aware of the dire circumstances many families are facing with rising energy prices, inflation, and the cost of living crisis, one in two Brits were unveiled to have donated money to a charity, while 55 per cent donated their items to help out.

When asked if they have helped out a neighbour during these tough times, 37 per cent said they had done.

The study’s results come amid an avalanche of strikes, with professionals across multiple industries sharing that they are having to go to food banks to feed their families.

Recently, the chair of the British Medical Association’s North Thames committee, Dr Arjan Nagra, told the Standard that junior doctors were having to use food banks, and make major financial sacrifices to pay their rents and heat their homes.

Similarly, the head of the Fire Brigades Union, Matt Wrack, previously said that some firefighters are using food banks.

Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, also shared his concerns about the growing number of officers who are struggling to make ends meet.

As the Office for Budget Responsibility and the Bank of England both anticipate a decline in the economy in the first half of 2023, families’ pockets are likely to be further affected.

Those who want to help are being urged to donate food and goods to their local food banks and collection points.

The Trussell Trust has compiled a list of suggested non-perishable food items to donate, including cereal, soup, pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, lentils, beans, pulses, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tea/coffee, tinned fruit, biscuits, UHT milk, and fruit juice.

You can also donate non-food items, such as toiletries, household items, feminine products, and baby supplies.

Those who don’t have time to donate food can also choose to give money.

Thousands of flights cancelled as German airport staff strike

Euronews
Fri, 17 February 2023 

Thousands of flights cancelled as German airport staff strike


Thousands of flights to and from German airports were cancelled on Friday as workers walked out to press their demands for inflation-busting pay increases.

The strikes at seven German airports, including Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg, affected almost 300,000 passengers and forced airlines to cancel more than 2,300 flights.

Christine Behle of the Verdi labour union told public broadcaster RBB-Inforadio that the failure to reach a meaningful deal with employers on pay could result in a “summer of chaos” at German airports.


The union is seeking a 10.5% increase for its members, or at least 500 euros, to make up for high inflation seen in Germany and elsewhere last year due to the knock-on effects Russia's attack on Ukraine is having on global food and energy prices.

Verdi chairman, Frank Werneke, told weekly Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that members of the union were very motivated to stage strikes and predicted future walkouts could reach “another dimension.”

He noted that recent strikes at airports, public transport and childcare facilities could be extended to garbage removal services and hospitals.

Germany: Strikes stop almost all flights at 7 airports

Apart from Berlin's, most major German airports are affected by the strikes, including the two busiest hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. Ground staff, public sector staff and air traffic control are all participating.

A 24-hour strike at seven major German airports is halting almost all passenger flights on Friday.

Some 2,340 flights have been canceled, with roughly 295,000 passengers affected, including Romania's foreign minister trying to get to the Munich Security Conference event.

Germany's busiest two hubs in Frankfurt and Munich stopped all regular passenger flights, with the strikes also hitting airports in Bremen, Dortmund, Hamburg, Hanover and Stuttgart.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport was the largest hub spared the disruption, though it suffered a full-day warning strike late last month.

"When we look at the airport terminals this morning, it reminds us more of the worst days of coronavirus than of a warning strike," Ralph Beisel of the ADV airports' association told Bavarian public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk on Friday.

Airports and airlines have questioned the extent of the industrial action and its appropriateness, while the Verdi trade union said it needed to send a "strong signal."

Beisel said the terminals were empty, with advanced warning for the strikes meaning the vast majority of affected passengers at least knew not to come to the airports.

International flights were for the most part rescheduled, domestic travelers were mainly offered replacement rail tickets.

Travelers received just over 24 hours' notice for the industrial action

Image: Arne Dedert/dpa/picture alliance

Who is on strike?

Ground personnel, air traffic controllers and public sector officials like firefighters are all on strike as part of major industrial action across multiple sectors by Germany's second-largest trade union by membership, Verdi.

As the airports are state owned, most of their direct employees class as public sector employees, including IT officials, technicians and administrators, as well as ground staff like check-in or boarding assistants, refueling truck drivers or disabled passenger assistants.

This industrial action is a change of pace from the pilots' strikes that led to repeated disruptions, particularly for the Lufthansa and Eurowings airlines, late last year.

Verdi is seeking improved pay and conditions for staff at airports in various functions, with a senior union representative saying the sector is hemorrhaging personnel even at a time when it is trying to recruit to fill gaps dating back to the serious reduction in air travel during the pandemic.

"If nothing changes on pay, then another chaotic summer awaits us all — and we must prevent that as a matter of urgency," Verdi's Christine Behle said on RBB-Inforadio early on Friday. "Many people did not just decide to switch workplaces during the pandemic, we all learnt that during last summer's chaos."

Ground staff went on strike on multiple occasions during 2022's peak travel season in Germany, most notably during July.

A combination of staff shortages and rapidly recovering demand also led to chaos and overcrowding at a host of European airports, even on days with no industrial action.

Verdi announced Friday's strike on Wednesday, saying the latest round of negotiations had brought little progress.

Medical, aid, military, and government flights still in the air

Although almost all regular passenger flights to the affected airports were halted, some other crucial services were still operating.

Medical transports, aid deliveries — for instance following the major earthquake hitting Turkey and Syria — military flights and government flights were still running as scheduled.

This was particularly important for Munich International Airport, as the 59th Munich Security Conference formally opens on Friday.

Most visiting leaders and delegates could still fly into Munich on board government planes.

However, Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, who was scheduled to fly in on a commercial plane, would have to fly to Austria and then take a roughly four-hour car ride to Munich for the event, Romania's embassy said.

msh/fb (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Sir Jim Ratcliffe joins Qataris in race to buy Manchester United

Fri, 17 February 2023 


Sir Jim Ratcliffe's firm INEOS has confirmed that it has submitted a bid for Manchester United.

It comes after the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) confirmed that he had put in his own offer for the club.

A statement from INEOS said that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS "have submitted a bid for majority ownership of Manchester United Football Club".


It added: "We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community. We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again.

"We also recognise that football governance in this country is at a crossroads. We would want to help lead this next chapter, deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership.

"We want a Manchester United anchored in its proud history and roots in the northwest of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focusing on winning the Champions League."

The billionaire, one of Britain's richest people, has never made any secret of his desire to buy the club. He supported United as a boy and is understood to remain a fan.

He also owns cycling team Ineos Grenadiers, Ligue 1 side Nice, who he took over in 2019, and FC Lausanne-Sport, a Swiss Super League club.

Manchester United's current owners, the Glazer family, had set a "soft" deadline of 10pm on Friday night.

Meanwhile in a statement, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani, who is heading the Qatari attempt "confirmed a submission for a bid for 100% of Manchester United Football Club".

The statement added: "The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and above all will seek to put fans at the heart of the football club once more."

"The bid will be 100% debt-free, via Sheikh Jassim's Nine Two Foundation which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and the wider infrastructure."

The Nine Two Foundation is a new financial entity set up to privately fund the bid.

Sheikh Jassim, whose father Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al Thani is a former prime minister of Qatar, was educated in Britain at Sandhurst military academy, he graduated as an officer cadet and has been chairman at QIB, as well as having roles at other clubs. Born in 1982, Sheikh Jassim says he has been a lifelong Manchester United fan.

The Glazer family, who took over the club in 2005 and who are widely disliked by fans, announced in November that they would put Manchester United up for sale.

There is believed to be interest in the club from four quarters: Sir Jim; Sheikh Jassim; US-based Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who attempted to buy Chelsea; and from Saudi Arabia. The bids from Saudi Arabia and Qatar are expected to be the only ones that would not rely on borrowed money.

The Raine Group based in New York is marketing the club's sale and will be ensuring that any bids for the club are backed by solid financial foundations.

If the QIB bid is successful Manchester United would become the third Premier League club to have Gulf owners, joining Manchester City (UAE) and Newcastle (Saudi Arabia). In France, Paris St Germain are owned by the Qatari sovereign wealth fund.

Expert Q+A: why do people  MEN commit murder-suicides?

Sandra Flynn, Lecturer in Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester
Fri, 17 February 2023 

EvGavrilov/Shutterstock

The deaths of Epsom College Head Emma Pattison and her daughter Lettie are a possible example of the rare and tragic phenomenon of murder-suicide. Pattison’s husband is believed to have shot his wife and child before taking his own life. We asked Sandra Flynn, an expert in forensic mental health at the University of Manchester, about why people commit this horrific act and what we should understand about it.
What kind of motivation can be behind these acts?

As with other forms of murder, the motivations for murder-suicide (which academic researchers refer to as homicide-suicide) are extremely diverse. There is no simple explanation – complex psychological mechanisms underpin these acts, which are not fully understood.


Researchers have examined the motive for past cases, which have included mental health, relationship problems, alcohol and substance use, physical health problems, criminal and legal issues, job or financial difficulties and domestic violence. More recently, a review of cases found negative childhood experiences to be risk factors, as are characteristics like gender, age and financial situation.

It is important to note that these characteristics and experiences are common to many people in the general population, but incidence of murder-suicide is extremely rare. For the most part, our understanding of these cases comes from descriptive accounts.

This is limited further by the fact that the people that could explain what happened are often dead. Psychological autopsies can piece together information from surviving family members and friends and death notes, which can help us to better understand motives.

For what we do know about characteristics and motivation, there is a great deal of consistency internationally. Jealousy, revenge, mental illness, financial problems and a history of domestic abuse have all been reported as factors in murder-suicide cases around the world.
What makes family murder-suicide different from other cases?

Filicide-suicides – where a parent takes the life of their child or children as well as their own – are commonly motivated by altruistic motives. This is often driven by a desire to ease a child’s suffering, based on actual medical conditions or delusional beliefs that the child is in danger.

When a parent is experiencing suicidal thoughts, they often consider their child an extension of themselves. They may have a desire to not abandon the child, or leave them behind to face the world alone without a parent.

Other filicides are motivated by romantic jealousy, revenge and domestic violence, triggered by separation. For example, jealousy caused by knowing or suspecting a partner is attracted to someone else, or after separation, jealousy over the new family an ex-partner has formed.

These are factors often seen in filicide and familicide perpetrated by men. Mental illness is a more prominent factor in maternal filicide, but it is common in both.
What are the connections between gender and murder-suicide?

These acts are predominantly committed by men (usually white and middle class) and victims are more likely to be women and children.

One recent study examining differences between male and female perpetrators of filicide-suicide found that relationship problems and mental illness featured for both, but appear differently for men and women.

With male perpetrators, there is often a history of violence and domestic abuse with subsequent legal consequences. For women, relationship conflict and mental illness, combined with concerns around a child’s health, contribute to the incidents. Men more commonly commit familicide (spouse and child) and have several victims, including adults.

The relationship to the victim also tends to differ by gender. For example, women are less likely to kill their spouse and take their own life. They are also less likely than men to kill outside of the family, such as a mass shooting or through suicide-terrorism.
What are common misconceptions or myths that influence how people understand these cases?

There is a perception that murder-suicides are common, when in fact they are rare events. The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health reported that there are approximately 16 cases per year in England and Wales, a fraction compared to thousands of suicides.

The portrayal of murder-suicide in the media can also influence how we perceive the perpetrator. When it comes to incidents involving parents who have killed their children, mothers tend to receive more sympathetic press coverage than fathers.

These incidents are rare and there is no simple explanation for why people commit murder-suicide. Because there is limited data, we do need to be cautious about how we interpret the research and cases reported in the media. Most of all, we must always be mindful that behind the research are grieving families and communities who have experienced a devastating loss.

If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, the following services can provide you with support:

In the UK and Ireland – call Samaritans UK at 116 123.

In the US – call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or IMAlive at 1-800-784-2433.

In Australia – call Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14.

In other countries – visit IASP or Suicide.org to find a helpline in your country.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Sandra Flynn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Asylum seekers ‘living in fear’ as more UK anti-migrant protests planned

Diane Taylor
Fri, 17 February 2023 

Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

The anger was palpable as hundreds of Dunstable residents filed into the town’s historic Priory church on Thursday evening.

There was a meeting to air concerns about the recent arrival of asylum seekers to a popular hotel across the road, but the subjects of the assembly were too terrified to attend and defend themselves.

They had seen a leaflet, widely distributed in the town, by far-right Patriotic Alternative activists bearing an image of asylum seekers in a dinghy. There was another showing the hotel, where they have been moved to by the Home Office, emblazoned with the slogan “You pay Migrants Stay”.


As tensions mount, Hope Not Hate, the organisation that monitors far-right activity, has flagged five anti-migrant demonstrations happening over this weekend – including one in Rotherham promoted by Britain First and Patriotic Alternative.

The Home Office and its contractors increased security inside the hotel ahead of the meeting and advised asylum seekers to stay inside. Several police vans lined up outside the church with groups of officers in hi-vis jackets patrolling the perimeter of the building and its interior.

They were out in force due to concerns there might be a repeat of the violence at disturbances in Knowsley a week ago, when hundreds of anti-migrant protesters demonstrated outside the hotel, with some throwing stones and setting a police van on fire.

It has since been reported the Home Office has imposed a curfew on the hotel for the safety of the asylum seekers, something the department declined to confirm or deny.

At a third hotel outside Leeds, blankets have been draped across windows to prevent far-right protesters from looking at the asylum seekers in the hotel.

On Thursday, the Conservative MP for South-west Bedfordshire, Andrew Selous, addressed the restive audience inside Priory church, branded the far-right leaflets as “inflammatory” and urged the 300 residents who attended the meeting to show kindness to the new arrivals.

But few seemed persuaded by his message.

One speaker said a friend had seen asylum seekers sexually harassing young girls in the town.

“I’m concerned for my children and my grandchildren,” she said.

Selous replied that he had checked these reports with police and asylum seekers had not yet moved into the area at the time of the claims.

Locals also accused the asylum seekers of taking up too many dentist appointments, taking up too much space on the pavement, using money that would otherwise be spent on free TV licences for older people and taking up places on free courses – which appear to be mainly courses teaching the asylum seekers English.

“We don’t know who they are, we don’t know where they come from. They’re not running away from anything,” said one resident.

Wesley Russell, a member of Patriotic Alternative, a far-right group, at Priory church, Dunstable. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

Patriotic Alternative activist Wesley Russell attended and launched a diatribe against asylum seekers, calling them illegal immigrants who should be forced to buy tickets back to their home countries.

“What you are saying is offensive,” said Selous.

As the anti-migrant rhetoric ramps up, the fear among asylum seekers increases in equal measure. Several told the Guardian they were too scared to go outside.

One asylum seeker at the hotel in Dunstable said: “We are in a dangerous situation. We are at risk and are scared to go outside the hotel. Everyone is in stress. Staff at the hotel said they can protect us inside but not outside. Some of my friends are planning to go to London and be homeless there because we will have more freedom and be safer than we are here.”

After listening to the meeting on a livestream feed, he said: “I can see that most of the community are not happy about us bring here. It is very hard for us to adapt to this environment.”

Local refugee NGOs report trying to provide services inside the hotel instead of at their own premises as they did previously because they feel asylum seekers could be targeted when leaving.

“I fled Syria because of fear of death in my country and now I’m living in fear here,” said one asylum seeker in the Knowsley hotel. “When the protests were happening I felt that some of the protesters were going to break into the hotel.”

Clare Moseley, the founder of the charity Care4Calais who witnessed the disturbances in Knowsley, accused the government of not doing enough to protect asylum seekers.

She said: “Not having documents makes you vulnerable and makes it difficult to stand up for yourself. Intimidating asylum seekers is an act of pure cowardice. We need a government that shows leadership and protects the vulnerable rather than empowering bullies by using damaging and divisive rhetoric.”

A government spokesperson said: “We have a legal obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute. All accommodation sites have security staff and we continually review the security at asylum accommodation sites with providers.

Thin blue square: video shows apparent Chinese police drill against protester


Amy Hawkins China correspondent
Fri, 17 February 2023 

Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

How many police officers does it take to neutralise a single unarmed protester? According to a video purported to be from China, it takes at least 10 highly disciplined members of law enforcement, as well as some bespoke blue banners.

In footage that emerged on Thursday, black-clad officers are shown practising a drill to surround a single person holding up a white piece of paper – an item that became the symbol of the anti-lockdown protests that rocked several major Chinese cities at the end of last year, and the demonstrations against the security laws imposed on Hong Kong in 2020.

The white papers are a nod to rampant censorship, as Chinese people cannot write slogans on protest signs without fear of arrest.



The drill appears to be taking place in a public square. Members of the public have stopped to observe as officers rush forward in pairs to surround the model protester with large blue banners, completely obscuring him from view. The banner-holders then disperse to reveal a protester held on each side by an officer, no white paper in sight.

The Guardian could not independently verify the the video, or where it was filmed. The logo on the banners matches that of mainland China’s police, and one observing officer in a blue shirt wears standard police uniform.

The video was shared on Twitter by an account called Mr Li is not your teacher, which is run by a man surnamed Li, a Chinese artist based in Italy. His account became prominent during last year’s protests after he started sharing videos and pictures from the demonstrations that were either censored on Chinese social media, or which people were afraid to post themselves because of potential repercussions from the authorities.