LONDON:

The UK’s Metropolitan Police announced on Monday that 47 additional individuals have been charged for allegedly supporting Palestine Action, a group banned as a terrorist organization earlier this year. This brings the total number of activists charged to 114 since the group’s proscription in July.

If convicted, 

each faces a maximum sentence of six months in prison under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The UK government outlawed Palestine Action in July after two planes were vandalized at a Royal Air Force base, causing an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) in damages.

Rights Groups Criticize the Ban

The move has sparked widespread criticism from human rights organizations and UN experts, who labeled the ban a threat to free speech and an act of legal overreach. Protests have been held across London demanding that the government reverse its decision.

UK Officials Defend the Decision

Interior Minister Yvette Cooper has defended the proscription, stating the group has a “long history of unacceptable criminal damage” and is “not a non-violent organization,” despite its claims.

Founded in 2020, Palestine Action describes itself as a “direct action network” campaigning against what it calls British complicity in Israeli military actions, particularly through arms sales.

The group has staged high-profile protests, including:

Targeting arms manufacturers linked to Israeli defense companies.

Storming a Scottish golf course owned by former US President Donald Trump, painting “GAZA IS NOT FOR SALE” on the grass in March.

Legal Battle to Overturn the Ban

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori has filed a legal challenge to overturn the group’s terrorist designation. A court hearing is scheduled for November, where activists hope to argue the ban violates freedom of expression rights.

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In the small village of Bobryk, Ukraine, students returned to school on Monday — not in their original classrooms, but in the basement of an administrative building never intended for education. The makeshift school, adapted to wartime conditions, now houses narrow classrooms divided by sheets of heavy plastic, with no windows or doors.

As lessons began,

children dressed in traditional embroidered shirts, known as vyshyvanka, filled the air with chatter.

Principal Oleksii Korenivskyi said it took significant effort to transform the dark, damp basement into a functional learning space with ventilation, electricity, and new flooring. “This difficult neighbor isn’t going anywhere,” he said, referring to Russia’s ongoing attacks. “But the effort is worth it to keep education alive.”

Small Schools, Big Challenges

Bobryk, home to around 2,000 people, has a small school where classes typically have just 10 students. This year, only seven children sat in the first-grade classroom. The school currently serves just over 100 students, but about 10% have left since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, with more families planning to leave.

Among them is 15-year-old Vlada Mykhailyk, who will soon move to Austria with her younger brother due to safety concerns. “We live well here, but the explosions and drones are frightening,” Vlada shared. She prefers the basement classroom to online learning but wishes she could finish school with her friends.Palestine

Learning Under Threat

Despite the challenges, teachers try to maintain normalcy. On the first day, students shared stories about summer bike rides and family time before one child mentioned a Shahed drone being intercepted overhead. The teacher calmly responded, “This is all because of the war.”

Because space is limited, classes run in two shifts with shortened breaks. The original early 20th-century school building remains empty, awaiting safer days when students can return.Palestine

Dreams for the Future

Seven-year-old Eva Tui, now in her third year of basement learning, recalls her old classroom just 400 meters away — warmer and brighter than the underground rooms. “I want to go back. It feels more like home,” Eva said. Her biggest wish: “For the war to end.”

Despite the hardships, the spirit of education persists in Bobryk, where students and teachers adapt to keep learning alive under the constant threat of attack.

Minouche Shafik, a British-American economist and former deputy governor of the Bank of England, has been appointed as the UK Prime Minister’s new chief economic adviser. Shafik, who previously held senior academic and civil service roles in Britain, stepped down from her position as president of Columbia University in August 2024 after just over a year.

During her tenure at Columbia, Shafik faced scrutiny from multiple sides. Some student groups condemned her decision to invite police to remove protesters, while Republicans in the U.S. Congress accused her of not doing enough to address antisemitism on campus

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson,

Dave Pares, expressed confidence in her abilities, saying the prime minister was pleased to have someone with Shafik’s “outstanding economic expertise” join the government.Palestine

Government Restructuring Amid Political Pressures

In addition to Shafik’s appointment, Starmer also reshuffled his communications team, naming Darren Jones — formerly a Treasury minister — as the new chief secretary to the prime minister. Jones will oversee coordination on key policy initiatives as Parliament reconvenes following the summer recess.

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The Labour government, elected in July 2024,

faces mounting political pressure over unauthorized migration. Protests erupted over the summer near hotels housing asylum-seekers, fueling debate over the UK’s asylum policies.

• Farage’s Reform UK Party Gains MomentumThe hard-right Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, has sought to capitalize on public concerns over immigration. Farage has pledged to deport all

• unauthorized migrants if his party gains power, painting the rising numbers of asylum-seekers arriving across the English Channel as a national threat.

• While Reform UK currently holds only a handful of seats in Parliament, recent polls suggest it is outperforming both Labour and the Conservative Party, signaling growing voter frustration.

  Labour Promises to Fix “Broken” Asylum System

  Starmer’s government insists it is repairing the asylum system after 14 years of Conservative leadership. Officials say efforts are underway to dismantle people-smuggling networks operating along the Channel and to coordinate with international partners to address the crisis.

  With Shafik’s economic expertise and new leadership roles in place, the UK government aims to balance economic recovery, immigration reform, and growing political challenges as Parliament resumes.Palestine

  Climate activist Greta Thunberg has renewed her commitment to breaking the blockade on Gaza after previously being arrested along with 11 other activists during the Madleen flotilla mission in June.

  “Our mission was clear — to reach Gaza and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid,” she said.

  

Thousands Join Efforts to Break Gaza Blockade

The goal is to deliver humanitarian assistance and demand the opening of a safe corridor into Gaza, where international observers warn of severe famine conditions.

In an interview with Iran’s Press TV, Thunberg said:Palestine

She stressed that the mission represents “a global uprising of people standing up when governments fail to act.”

Thunberg Condemns War, Calls for Global Resistance

In a separate interview with the UK’s Sky News, Thunberg rejected accusations that criticizing Israel’s actions was antisemitic, saying:

She further accused world leaders of complicity in violence, climate destruction, and oppression, promising that grassroots movements would continue to resist such policies.

“For every politician fueling genocide, environmental devastation, and colonization, there will be people ready to escalate the resistance,” Thunberg added.

Related Developments

Storm Delays Gaza Aid Flotilla: Bad weather forced the aid flotilla, which included celebrities such as Susan Sarandon and Greta Thunberg, to return temporarily to Barcelona before resuming its mission.

Humanitarian Concerns Rise: International groups have repeatedly warned of worsening conditions in Gaza as calls for a permanent humanitarian corridor grow louder.