International News
UK Gov’t Announces Cobra Meeting After Violent Unrest Across The Country
Downing Street has announced an emergency response meeting for Monday following the arrest of over 150 individuals due to violent unrest in various UK towns and cities over the weekend.
This development comes after Sir Keir Starmer denounced an attack on a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, vowing that those responsible for the unrest would face “the full force of the law.”
Police were called to violent incidents in Rotherham, Middlesbrough, Bolton, and other locations across the UK on Sunday.
Watch Video: violent Protest And Riots Have Broken Out Across Britain
The Cobra meeting follows some of the most severe rioting seen in the UK in recent years, triggered by the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport last week.
In the days following the stabbings, violence has erupted in various parts of England and Northern Ireland, which politicians attribute to misinformation on social media and far-right groups stoking tensions.
Cobra meetings, named after Cabinet Office Briefing Room A in Whitehall, involve a committee of ministers, civil servants, police, intelligence officers, and other relevant officials to address emergency situations.
Monday’s meeting aims to update the government on the weekend’s violence and plan the response for the coming days. It will include relevant ministers and police representatives.
Sources indicate that this meeting is part of ongoing efforts, including a previous meeting between the prime minister and police chiefs last Thursday, and a senior ministers’ meeting on Saturday.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted the role of social media in exacerbating the situation, calling it a “rocket booster” for spreading misinformation and organizing violence.
She urged social media companies to take responsibility and ensure that online criminal activity is addressed.
When questioned about Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, spreading misinformation online, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper refrained from commenting on specific individuals but emphasized, “if it’s a crime offline, it’s a crime online.”
“You can’t have people inciting and organizing violence from behind a screen without facing consequences,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme.
In a televised address on Sunday, the prime minister warned those involved in the unrest that they will “regret” their actions.
Sir Keir said: “People in this country have a right to be safe, and yet we’ve seen Muslim communities targeted, attacks on mosques… Other minority communities singled out, Nazi salutes in the street, attacks on the police, wanton violence alongside racist rhetoric, so no, I won’t shy away from calling it what it is: far-right thuggery.”
The Home Office, in a statement, announced the introduction of new measures to enhance protections for mosques, including the option for “rapid security” deployment to quickly restore worship services.
In Rotherham, anti-immigration demonstrators injured at least 10 police officers, with one left unconscious after being struck with planks of wood and sprayed with fire extinguishers, according to South Yorkshire police.
The officer who was knocked unconscious suffered a head injury, and at least two others are suspected to have broken bones.
While hotel employees and residents, including asylum seekers, were “terrified,” no injuries were reported among them.
Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, noted that there were “240 people” in the hotel during the attack and expressed concern for the asylum seekers, who have already faced violence and persecution in their home countries. “I can’t imagine how terrified they must have been,” he said, confirming that all asylum seekers were safely evacuated.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the violence as “utterly appalling” and assured that police have the government’s full support to take “the strongest action” against those responsible.
At a second hotel in Tamworth, Staffordshire, officers responded to “violent acts of thuggery” on Sunday evening, according to Staffordshire Police.
One officer was injured as individuals threw missiles, smashed windows, and started fires at the site.
David Felton, Assistant Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, reported that 43 people have been arrested following the “staggering” violence. He also confirmed that police will maintain a presence in the area throughout the day.
The United Kingdom is considering sweeping new restrictions that could limit or completely block children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, as part of a broader push to improve online safety and reduce excessive screen time among young users.
The proposal, currently under government consultation, is being led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and focuses on addressing concerns over how teenagers interact with platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
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Officials say the move is driven by growing evidence and public concern that algorithm-driven feeds and “endless scrolling” features may be negatively affecting children’s sleep patterns, concentration levels, and overall well-being.
The government is also reviewing whether additional measures such as app curfews and time limits should be introduced.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the consultation has already attracted widespread public input, with tens of thousands of responses from parents, teenagers, and advocacy groups.
She noted that the government is particularly interested in feedback on addictive platform design features and the use of AI tools targeting younger users.
The UK is also studying policies already implemented in other countries. Australia has introduced stricter age-based restrictions, while Greece and Indonesia have also moved toward tighter regulation of children’s access to social media.
Authorities emphasize that no final decision has been made, but the consultation process is expected to shape future legislation on how tech companies operate and how young users are protected online in the digital age.
U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked global reactions following his remarks about Pope Leo XIV after the Pope’s recent anti-war message calling for peace in conflict-hit regions.
The controversy began after Pope Leo XIV delivered a strong appeal at the Vatican, urging world leaders to end ongoing wars and prioritise dialogue over violenceviolence.
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The pontiff warned against the “idolatry of power” and called for global cooperation to restore peace.
Reacting to the message, Trump told reporters he is “not a big fan” of Pope Leo XIV, describing him as “very liberal” and questioning his views on crime and international security.
The U.S. President further criticised the Pope’s stance on global conflicts, suggesting his message overlooks serious security challenges linked to rising geopolitical tensions, including nuclear concerns.
In a follow-up post on Truth Social, Trump intensified his criticism, accusing the Pope of taking a weak position on foreign policy matters and suggesting political factors influenced his leadership position.
The comments have since triggered widespread debate across political and religious circles, adding to ongoing tensions between Washington and the Vatican over issues such as immigration policy, military action, and global diplomacy.
While both sides have previously denied any formal rift, the latest exchange has renewed global attention on their differing positions regarding war and peace efforts.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that Mohammed Wishah, an Al Jazeera journalist killed in a strike in Gaza on Wednesday, was a Hamas operative “operating under the guise of a journalist.”
According to Israeli forces, Wishah was “a key terrorist in Hamas’ rocket and weapons production headquarters” and had been planning attacks against soldiers in the area.
The military said he used his journalist identity to advance Hamas’ operations against Israel.
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Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based broadcaster, strongly condemned the killing. In a statement, the network described the attack as a “heinous crime of targeting and killing” its correspondent and insisted the strike was deliberate, not accidental.
The channel vowed to pursue “all necessary legal action to prosecute those responsible for the killing of its correspondents and staff in Gaza.”
Media rights organization Reporters Without Borders also condemned the incident, stating that Wishah’s name now joins “more than 220 journalists killed in two and a half years by Israeli forces in Gaza, at least 70 of whom were killed while performing their duties.”
The killing occurred despite a US-backed ceasefire in Gaza that has been in effect since October 2025, highlighting ongoing tensions and frequent accusations of truce violations by both Israel and Hamas.
Al Jazeera listed Wishah among 11 of its journalists killed in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel that triggered the Gaza war.
Past incidents include the killing of Mohammad Salama in August 2025 and the deaths of four Al Jazeera staff and two freelancers outside Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City earlier that year, prompting widespread condemnation.
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