UK

Grok Deepfake Investigation Launched by UK Regulator

Grok Deepfake Investigation Launched by UK Regulator

January 13, 2026 12:05 pm

Britain’s media regulator has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s social platform X over concerns that its Grok tool may be generating sexually explicit synthetic images, raising alarms about potential violations of UK laws designed to protect the public from illegal online content.

The probe, announced Monday by Ofcom, comes as the British government prepares to activate new legislation that makes the creation of sexual deepfake images a criminal offence. Officials say the move is aimed at curbing the spread of images they describe as weapons of abuse.

Technology Minister Liz Kendall told lawmakers that the government is …

British Couple Detained In Iran Faces ‘Espionage’ Allegations

British Couple Detained In Iran Faces ‘Espionage’ Allegations

December 23, 2025 2:13 pm

Craig and Lindsay Foreman were arrested while touring Iran, accused of spying, as UK officials seek consular access amid strained relations tensions.

A British couple has been detained in Iran on espionage charges, raising fresh concerns over the treatment of foreign nationals and adding strain to already fragile relations between Tehran and Western governments.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both in their early 50s, were arrested in January 2025, while traveling through Iran on a round-the-world motorcycle trip, according to their family and UK officials. Iranian authorities say the couple entered the country as tourists but were gathering information on behalf

…
Islamic State Inspired UK Terror Plot Foiled, Two Convicted

Islamic State Inspired UK Terror Plot Foiled, Two Convicted

December 23, 2025 10:48 am

Two men have been found guilty in Britain of planning an Islamic State inspired gun attack aimed at killing hundreds of people from the Jewish community, a case authorities say highlights the renewed threat posed by extremist violence in Europe.

A jury convicted Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, on Tuesday after prosecutors detailed a plan to carry out a mass shooting using automatic weapons. Investigators said the pair intended to kill as many Jews as possible before dying as martyrs.

Police said the plot was disrupted before it could be carried out, preventing what could have been one …

UK Government Hack Confirmed As Probe Into Breach Widens

UK Government Hack Confirmed As Probe Into Breach Widens

December 19, 2025 3:30 am

The British government confirmed on Friday that its systems were breached in a cyberattack in October, following media reports that sensitive foreign office data may have been accessed during the incident.

Trade minister Chris Bryant acknowledged the intrusion in a series of broadcast interviews, saying investigators were still determining how the breach occurred, what data may have been affected, and who was responsible.

“There certainly has been a hack,” Bryant told Times Radio. However, he cautioned against premature conclusions, adding that officials could not yet confirm whether the incident was linked to Chinese operatives or to the Chinese state.

The …

Novichok Inquiry Findings Set To Reshape UK View Of Salisbury Attack

Novichok Inquiry Findings, To Reshape View Of Salisbury Attack

December 4, 2025 4:35 am

A public inquiry in the United Kingdom will on Thursday issue its final report on the death of Dawn Sturgess, the woman who was fatally exposed to the Novichok nerve agent months after the attempted killing of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in 2018.

The Novichok inquiry findings will close a lengthy process examining how a banned military-grade toxin entered Britain, how it ended up in a counterfeit perfume bottle, and why an innocent civilian died in an incident that sparked one of the most serious diplomatic standoffs between London and Moscow since the Cold War.

Skripal and his …

German State Visit To UK Begins With Royal Welcome At Windsor

German State Visit To UK Begins With Royal Welcome At Windsor

December 3, 2025 12:27 pm

President of Germany Frank‑Walter Steinmeier, accompanied by his wife Elke Büdenbender, was formally received at Windsor Castle on Wednesday by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, marking the first state visit by a German head of state to the UK in 27 years. The arrival included a royal carriage procession, a guard of honour and a ceremonial welcome, launching a three-day visit bringing together pageantry, diplomacy and cultural exchange. 

This visit comes as Britain and Germany seek to reinforce bilateral ties through renewed cooperation on trade, security, and cultural diplomacy. The visit reflects efforts to deepen the post-Brexit partnership and …

UK Flags Rising Asylum Claims As Visa Rules Tighten

UK Flags Rising Asylum Claims As Visa Rules Tighten

November 26, 2025 5:15 am

The British government is again defending its tougher immigration agenda, but this time the debate follows it abroad. During a visit to Chennai, Indo-Pacific Minister Seema Malhotra tried to reassure India—one of the UK’s most important sources of foreign students—that Britain still wants their talent, even as it moves to reshape how people settle in the country.

Malhotra’s message came with a warning. A growing number of international students are applying for asylum at the end of their studies, she said, pointing to 16,000 claims last year and another 14,800 filed by mid-2025. To her, the surge is a clear …

Palestine Action Terror Listing Faces Major High Court Challenge

Palestine Action Terror Listing Faces Major High Court Challenge

November 26, 2025 2:11 am

Britain’s move to classify the activist group Palestine Action as a terror organisation is being challenged at London’s High Court on Wednesday, setting up a major test of how far anti terror laws can reach. The group’s co founder, Huda Ammori, argues the decision was an improper stretch of the law and has had broad consequences for peaceful protest.

The outcome carries wide significance. If the court agrees the listing was unlawful, more than two hundred people charged for expressing support for the group could gain a path to defend their cases and possibly have prosecutions dropped.

Palestine Action …

UK Set To Approve Huge New Chinese Embassy In London

UK Set To Approve Huge New Chinese Embassy In London

November 21, 2025 12:49 pm

The UK government is preparing to approve China’s long-sought plan for a vast new embassy complex in central London—one of the largest diplomatic sites anywhere in Europe.

Although a final announcement has not been made, ministers are understood to have received security assessments from intelligence agencies that do not oppose the project. This effectively clears the way for approval, despite intense political and public scrutiny.

The decision formally rests with Housing Secretary Steve Reed, who must treat the application with quasi-judicial neutrality. But given the sensitivity of the issue, MI5, MI6 and senior officials across Whitehall have been heavily involved …

UK Says Russian Spy Ship Zapped RAF Pilots With Lasers

UK Says Russian Spy Ship Zapped RAF Pilots With Lasers

November 19, 2025 4:19 pm

A Russian spy ship, the Yantar, has reportedly used lasers to disrupt Royal Air Force pilots tracking its movements near UK waters, Defence Secretary John Healey has said. He described the incident as “deeply dangerous” and said the government was treating it with the utmost seriousness.

Healey said the ship, operating north of Scotland, had entered UK waters for the second time this year. It was being monitored by a Royal Navy frigate and RAF Poseidon P-8 aircraft at the time. The laser incident is understood to have occurred within the last two weeks.

“My message to Russia and to …

UK Warns Of Visa Bans In Major Asylum System Shake-Up

UK Warns Of Visa Bans In Major Asylum System Shake-Up

November 17, 2025 12:09 pm

The UK government has issued a stark warning to three African nations, threatening visa bans unless they agree to take back their citizens who entered Britain irregularly. The announcement came on Monday as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood prepared to unveil what officials describe as the most extensive overhaul of the asylum system in modern British history.

According to the Home Office, Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo could all face visa suspensions if they continue resisting the return of “their criminals and illegal immigrants.” Ministers argue that cooperation from these governments has been “unacceptably low,” prompting the UK …

UK Court Rejects Bid To Remove Asylum Seekers From Epping Hotel

UK Court Rejects Bid To Remove Asylum Seekers From Epping Hotel

November 11, 2025 9:00 am

A British local authority has lost its attempt to remove asylum seekers from a hotel in Essex after a High Court judge ruled that the government’s obligation to house migrants outweighed local planning breaches.

The case, brought by Epping Forest District Council, stemmed from tensions surrounding the Bell Hotel in the town of Epping, about 20 miles north of London. The council argued that the property’s owner was violating planning laws by using the site as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers without official approval.

The council sought an injunction from London’s High Court to stop the practice, but the Home …

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𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, is a nonpartisan online news portal founded on the truth to provide you with weekly, insightful articles written with precision and current updates on current events from Africa in particular and the rest of the world in general. All of our reports undergo extensive fact-checking to ensure their veracity, and we adhere strictly to the facts, no matter whose ox is gored.

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