News 011225

An inquiry has heard evidence that some members of a British special forces unit in Afghanistan operated under a deliberate policy to kill fighting aged men even when they posed no threat.

A note dated 7 April 2011 shows a senior officer warning the director of UK special forces about concerns raised by the unit’s commander. The officer, codenamed N1466, said a conscious decision was later taken to conceal potential war crimes linked to the unit known as UKSF1. The document was released by the Afghanistan Inquiry after closed evidence sessions involving special forces personnel.

The family of Nathan Osman say new evidence has strengthened their belief that foul play was involved in his death in Benidorm.

The 30 year old father of four from Pontypridd had travelled to the resort for a long weekend with friends in September 2024. Less than a day after he arrived, an off duty police officer found his body at the bottom of a remote 650 foot cliff. A post mortem found he died from head and abdominal injuries caused by a fall from height.

Oxford University Press has named rage bait as its word or phrase of the year.

The term describes manipulative tactics used online to provoke strong emotional reactions and drive engagement. Usage has tripled in the past twelve months according to the publisher. Rage bait was chosen ahead of two other shortlisted terms, aura farming and biohack, to take the title.

A man has been jailed after Thames Valley Police found £180,000 worth of drugs in Slough.

Forty one year old Zaim Hysa, of Boundary Drive, was convicted at Reading Crown Court of possessing cocaine with intent to supply and of acquiring criminal property. He was sentenced to four years and eight months. Officers stopped and searched him on 17 September and found 150 wraps of cocaine.