Archiv: Whitehall (UK government / war ministry)


01.11.2025 - 00:00 [ theGuardian.com ]

UK military equipment used by militia accused of genocide found in Sudan, UN told

(October 28, 2025)

British military equipment has been found on battlefields in Sudan, used by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group accused of genocide, according to documents seen by the UN security council.

(…)

Months after the UN security council first received material alleging that the UAE may have supplied British-made items to the RSF, new data indicates that the British government went on to approve further exports to the Gulf state for military equipment of the same type.

British engines made specifically for a type of UAE-manufactured armoured personnel carrier also appear to have been exported to the Emirates, despite evidence that the vehicles had been used in Libya and Yemen in defiance of UN arms embargos.

01.10.2025 - 21:58 [ ORF.at ]

„Five Eyes“ hinter den Entschlüsselungsplänen des EU-Ministerrats

(29.11.2020)

Gemeint ist ein erster Schritt zu einer EU-weiten Regulation, die Plattformbetreiber de facto verpflichten wird, Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung mit einem Generalschlüssel auszuhebeln. Dass diese vom britischen Geheimdienst GCHQ vorgeschlagene Methode favorisiert wird, bestätigte de Kerchove ganz nebenbei in einem am Freitag von der Nachrichtenagentur AFP verbreiteten Interview. Ein frisch geleaktes Dokument des Rats dokumentiert die tiefe Involvierung der Spionageallianz „Five Eyes“ in die Entschlüsselungspläne.

(…)

Was de Kerchove, der auch die Gaming-Websites als überwachungspflichtig ins Spiel gebracht hatte, geflissentlich verschwieg, ist, wozu dies in jedem EU-Staat unweigerlich führen wird, dessen Gesetze den Geheimdiensten ein Mandat zum Anzapfen der Glasfaserleitungen zum Zwecke der „Gefahrenverhütung“ bzw. der „Nachrichtenaufklärung“ verleihen.

05.09.2025 - 19:25 [ Al Jazeera ]

Corbyn-led tribunal accuses UK of complicity in Gaza genocide

On June 4, Corbyn tabled a bill in the House of Commons calling for an independent inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israeli military operations in Gaza, including the supply of weapons, surveillance aircraft and the use of Royal Air Force bases. That bill, backed by dozens of MPs and supported by more than 20 aid groups, was ultimately blocked by the ruling Labour Party.

“If the government won’t organise a public open inquiry, if Parliament won’t effectively inquire into what’s going on, it remains for us to do it,” said Corbyn. “This [event] will strengthen our arguments both in Parliament and outside … An awful lot of what’s going on is completely illegal and shouldn’t be hidden from.”

04.09.2025 - 18:46 [ TheGazaTribunal.uk ]

The Gaza Tribunal: Inquiry into British Complicity

Find out more about the inquiry into Britain‘s role in Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

31.07.2025 - 10:39 [ ORF.at ]

„Five Eyes“ hinter den Entschlüsselungsplänen des EU-Ministerrats

(29.11.2020)

Gemeint ist ein erster Schritt zu einer EU-weiten Regulation, die Plattformbetreiber de facto verpflichten wird, Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung mit einem Generalschlüssel auszuhebeln. Dass diese vom britischen Geheimdienst GCHQ vorgeschlagene Methode favorisiert wird, bestätigte de Kerchove ganz nebenbei in einem am Freitag von der Nachrichtenagentur AFP verbreiteten Interview. Ein frisch geleaktes Dokument des Rats dokumentiert die tiefe Involvierung der Spionageallianz „Five Eyes“ in die Entschlüsselungspläne.

(…)

Was de Kerchove, der auch die Gaming-Websites als überwachungspflichtig ins Spiel gebracht hatte, geflissentlich verschwieg, ist, wozu dies in jedem EU-Staat unweigerlich führen wird, dessen Gesetze den Geheimdiensten ein Mandat zum Anzapfen der Glasfaserleitungen zum Zwecke der „Gefahrenverhütung“ bzw. der „Nachrichtenaufklärung“ verleihen.

23.07.2025 - 05:57 [ Declassified UK / Youtube ]

Conservatives SLAM Israel‘s slaughter in Gaza, demand Labour act now

(June 4, 2025)

Gaza has become „an abattoir where starving people are lured out through combat zones to be shot at“, says Kit Malthouse, a Tory MP.

„If the situation were reversed, we would now be mobilising the British armed forces as part of an international protection force“, he adds.

23.07.2025 - 05:39 [ SteveWitherden.wales ]

Parliamentarians call for an embargo on arms to Israel

I have written a public letter to the Foreign Secretary and the Business Secretary, with the support of the Campaign Against Arms Trade, calling for an embargo on arms to Israel and greater transparency in UK arms exports. 57 MPs and Lords have signed it.

This follows the Adjournment Debate on arms exports to Israel I held last month, which you can read about here.

Repeated calls for greater transparency from the government have so far gone unanswered. The bare minimum we can do is be fully honest about what we are sending to a state involved in the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians.

The components which create the fighter jets that Israel has used to level Gaza are 15% British-made – we cannot hide from that. Without British arms export licenses, these jets could not fly, they could not drop their bombs.

The government must impose an embargo on arms to Israel or risk being complicit in genocide.

Read the full letter below. You can use the arrows to scroll through.

15.07.2025 - 20:37 [ Al Jazeera ]

Thousands of Afghans brought to UK under secret programme after data leak

The breach revealed the names of Afghans who had helped British forces in Afghanistan before they withdrew from the country in chaotic circumstances in 2021.

The details emerged after a legal ruling known as a superinjunction was lifted. The injunction had been granted in 2023 after the Ministry of Defence argued that a public disclosure of the breach could put people at risk of extra-judicial killing or serious violence by the Taliban.

20.06.2025 - 20:18 [ Palestine Action ]

Palestine Action damage military planes at RAF Brize Norton to intervene in the genocide

By putting the planes out of service, activists have interrupted Britain’s direct participation in the commission of genocide and war crimes across the Middle East. From Akrotiri, the RAF have flown hundreds of surveillance missions in support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza [1], and the base is also used for UK and US military cargo transports to the Israeli military [2]. In a speech to troops at Akrotiri in December 2024, Keir Starmer hailed the troops’ efforts while stating that “Quite a bit of what goes on here can’t necessarily be talked about […] we can’t necessarily tell the world what you’re doing” [3].

12.06.2025 - 20:52 [ theNational.scot ]

UK ‚currently‘ training Israel soldiers on UK soil, Labour admit

The news came in response to a written question at Westminster, put in by Labour MP for York Central Rachael Maskell. (…)

Pollard said: “As part of routine defence engagement with Israel, the UK is currently training a limited number of Israel Defense Forces personnel on UK-based training courses.”

The news comes despite the Labour Government sanctioning two Israeli ministers – Itamar Ben-Gvir, the security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister.

The UK Government has also continued to send military equipment to Israel, and has declined to block exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets despite evidence that they have been used in Gaza.

07.05.2025 - 18:46 [ ORF.at ]

„Five Eyes“ hinter den Entschlüsselungsplänen des EU-Ministerrats

(29.11.2020)

Gemeint ist ein erster Schritt zu einer EU-weiten Regulation, die Plattformbetreiber de facto verpflichten wird, Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung mit einem Generalschlüssel auszuhebeln. Dass diese vom britischen Geheimdienst GCHQ vorgeschlagene Methode favorisiert wird, bestätigte de Kerchove ganz nebenbei in einem am Freitag von der Nachrichtenagentur AFP verbreiteten Interview. Ein frisch geleaktes Dokument des Rats dokumentiert die tiefe Involvierung der Spionageallianz „Five Eyes“ in die Entschlüsselungspläne.

(…)

Was de Kerchove, der auch die Gaming-Websites als überwachungspflichtig ins Spiel gebracht hatte, geflissentlich verschwieg, ist, wozu dies in jedem EU-Staat unweigerlich führen wird, dessen Gesetze den Geheimdiensten ein Mandat zum Anzapfen der Glasfaserleitungen zum Zwecke der „Gefahrenverhütung“ bzw. der „Nachrichtenaufklärung“ verleihen.

30.04.2025 - 15:07 [ Saba.ye ]

Government of Change: British enemy must anticipate consequences of its aggression against Yemen

The Government of Change and Construction said in a statement issued today, „With typical British impudence, the British Ministry of Defense announced the implementation of a joint military aggression with the American enemy against our country, south of Sana‘a, in response, the Government of Change and Construction affirms that the British enemy must reckon with its predicament and anticipate the consequences of its aggression against the Republic of Yemen.“

30.04.2025 - 14:59 [ San Antonio Express-News ]

UK military launches airstrikes with US targeting Yemen‘s Houthi rebels

“This action was taken in response to a persistent threat from the Houthis to freedom of navigation,” U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said. “A 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fueling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the U.K.”

30.04.2025 - 14:54 [ Saba.ye ]

Massacre in Furat Al-Shu‘abi neighborhood & market… Another testament to American brutality

[Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:24:19 +0300]

Sana‘a – Saba:
Civilians—women and children—along with densely populated homes and neighborhoods, bustling markets, commercial shops, cemeteries, and civilian facilities and properties.

This is the target bank of the American enemy since the beginning of its brutal aggression against the Yemeni people, which escalated last Sunday evening with an attack on the crowded residential area and market of Fura in the capital‘s municipality.

30.04.2025 - 14:52 [ New York Times ]

Britain Joins U.S. in Strike Against Houthis in Yemen

There was no immediate comment from the American military about the operation, which the British Defense Ministry said early Wednesday was carried out overnight “to degrade Houthi capabilities and prevent further attacks against U.K. and international shipping.”

Typhoon jets using precision guided bombs took part in the mission, the ministry said in a statement. The target was “a cluster of buildings, used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, located some 15 miles south of Sana,” the statement added, referring to the Yemeni capital.

08.03.2025 - 07:38 [ Kyiv Post ]

Meloni’s Game-Changing Proposal: NATO Protection for Ukraine Without Membership

“Sending unspecified military contingents, whether British or any other, is the most complex and possibly the least effective solution. I have said this, repeated it, and have also ruled out the possibility that Italian troops could be sent in this context,” Meloni told reporters on the sidelines of the European Union leaders’ meeting in Brussels on March 6.

08.03.2025 - 07:16 [ Bloomberg ]

Russia’s Putin Is Said to Be Ready to Agree to Ukraine Truce With Conditions

(March 7, 2025)

In the first signal of a positive response from President Vladimir Putin to US counterpart Donald Trump’s call for a ceasefire, the offer was conveyed at last month’s talks in Saudi Arabia between top Russian and American officials, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing internal policy.

08.03.2025 - 06:50 [ NDTV.com ]

Vladimir Putin Ready For Ukraine Truce Talks. But There Are Conditions

Russia has said it won‘t accept the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil, rejecting a proposal by European countries to put together a „coalition of the willing“ to help monitor any peace accord.

08.03.2025 - 06:43 [ Tass.com ]

Russia won’t tolerate NATO contingents in Ukraine, Lavrov says

MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. Russia will not stand idly by and watch the appearance of NATO troops in Ukraine under the guise of peacekeepers and will not tolerate such actions from the West, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference.

„There is no way we will tolerate this kind of actions (deployment of NATO ‚peacekeepers‘ in Ukraine – TASS),“ the top diplomat said. „This would mean not an alleged hybrid, but a direct, official, open involvement of NATO countries in the war against Russia. This cannot be permitted,“ he emphasized.

07.03.2025 - 12:07 [ Netzpolitik.org ]

Mehrere europäische Länder greifen Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung an

(March 4, 2025)

In Großbritannien ist mit dem Investigatory Powers Act schon länger ein solches Gesetz in Kraft. Auf Grundlage des Gesetzes forderte die Regierung Anfang Februar von Apple, weltweit Hintertüren in seine iCloud-Verschlüsselung einzubauen.
(…)

In Frankreich hat jüngst ein Gesetz gegen den Drogenhandel den Senat passiert und soll schon im März in Parlament und Ausschüssen weiter behandelt werden. Dieses „hoch politisierte“ Gesetzespaket enthält eine Reihe an Verschärfungen, etwa eine heimliche Fernüberwachung über Mikrofone und Kameras von Endgeräten.
Der Menschenrechtsorganisation la Quadrature du Net bereitet aber wohl ein Gesetzeszusatz die größten Sorgen, der sich gezielt gegen verschlüsselte Kommunikation richtet. Der Passus soll Online-Dienste wie Signal oder WhatsApp verpflichten, Kommunikationsdaten in lesbarer Form herauszugeben und bedroht die Nichtbeachtung mit Strafen von bis zu 1,5 Millionen Euro für natürliche Personen oder zwei Prozent des Jahresumsatzes von juristischen Personen wie Unternehmen oder Stiftungen.
(…)
In Schweden ist ein geplantes Gesetz gegen illegale Online-Inhalte noch nicht ganz so weit. Es soll voraussichtlich erst im kommenden Jahr in den schwedischen Reichstag kommen. Die Initiative sieht laut SVT Nyheter vor, dass Messenger die Kommunikationen ihrer Nutzer:innen speichern müssen. Es sei „absolut entscheidend“, dass Ermittlungsbehörden Zugang zu digitaler Kommunikation erhalten, forderte der schwedische Justizminister.

07.03.2025 - 11:55 [ Computerworld.com ]

Apple appeals UK encryption backdoor demand

(March 5, 2025)

Let’s say that Apple lets the order stand and simply opts out of the UK market, which is essentially what it has already done, he said. That could encourage other governments, especially those in France, Australia, and Canada, to try the same tactic.

“If that happens, then the [UK] government has set a precedent,” Chagnon said. But if Apple succeeds in this appeal, which was reported in various media including The Financial Times, “then Apple will have turned the tables and set their own precedent. It would be saying ‘No, China, no, Germany, no, France, you can’t have a backdoor.’”

07.03.2025 - 07:59 [ Guardian ]

European-led Ukraine air protection plan could halt Russian missile attacks

It is understood Sky Shield has been drawn up by former RAF planners working in conjunction with Ukraine’s armed forces, and it has been canvassed before European defence ministries. However, there has been no real appetite from European leaders to sanction patrols of Ukrainian skies while the war is ongoing.

Those involved believe the pace of events in the last week means that ideas about protecting some of Ukraine’s airspace can now get a fresh hearing, though the plan also serves to highlight how important and efficient air protection would be as part of providing security guarantees to Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire.

11.02.2025 - 20:10 [ Krone.at ]

Mitglied der Hamas? Terror-Razzia gegen Sohn von Nobelpreisträgern

(February 8, 2025)

Medhursts Mutter und Vater hatten 1988 als Teil eines UN-Kontingents symbolisch den Friedensnobelpreis für die Blauhelme bekommen. Jetzt der brisante Verdacht gegen ihn nach Paragraf 278b: Mitgliedschaft in einer terroristischen Vereinigung! Dafür drohen bis zu zehn Jahre Haft.

11.02.2025 - 20:05 [ Consortium News ]

Austrian Police Detain Richard Medhurst; Accuse Him of Being Hamas Member; UK Extends Probe Against Him

(February 7, 2025)

“I categorically deny all of these accusations by the Austrian and British governments, I’m a journalist, not a terrorist, and they bloody-well know it,” Medhurst said in his video. He added that he was a Christian being accused of belonging to Hamas, an Islamist organization resisting Israel’s occupation of Gaza.

Medhurst said the allegations by both countries were similar, but there has now been a “massive escalation” to accuse him of being a “member of a proscribed organization.” The British only accuse him of supporting the proscribed organization, Hamas, through his journalism.

“This is insanity,” he said. “This is an attack on the entire profession, on freedom of speech, on democracy itself.”

Medhurst said he could face up to 14 years of prison in Britain, plus 2-5 years if he doesn’t give them the passwords to his devices and perhaps 10 years in Austria.

11.02.2025 - 19:28 [ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) ]

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: STATE/ENTITY – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

04 Dec 2024
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
JAL
GBR 15/2024
– terrorism
– freedom of opinion and expression
– freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
– privacy
Information received concerning the potentially inappropriate use of provisions of the Terrorism Act 2000, the Terrorism Act 2006, and the Anti-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. These provisions appear to have been employed to investigate, detain, collect data, and prosecute political activists and journalists, raising concerns about potential infringements of their fundamental
rights.

Alleged victims: 6

(…)

According to the information received:
Powers under counter-terrorism legislation have been used on multiple occasions to examine, detain, and arrest journalists and activists, particularly at the UK border. It is alleged that journalists and activists who are critical of Western foreign policy in the context of the conflict in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war are especially affected by the reported misuse of these powers. In particular, schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, and schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, have been used to examine and obtain data from journalists and activists, including Johanna Ross (Ganyukova), John Laughland, Kit Klarenberg, Craig Murray and Richard Medhurst in circumstances where they appear to have no credible connection to “terrorist” or “hostile” activity. Furthermore, section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 has been used to charge journalists and activists, including Richard Barnard and Richard Medhurst, for allegedly expressing support for a “proscribed organisation” in the course of activism and media reporting.

Without having knowledge of the material that may have substantiated the investigations or charges, we raise concern about an alleged pattern of overuse, or other misuse, of counter-terrorism legislation to target legitimate freedom of expression and opinion, including public interest media reporting, and related freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and political
dissent or activism.

(…)

Ben Saul
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism

Irene Khan
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression

Gina Romero
Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association

Ana Brian Nougrères
Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy

11.02.2025 - 19:24 [ Craig Murray ]

United Nations Censures UK Over Abuse of Terrorism Act Against Journalists and Activists

(February 6, 2025)

Four UN Special Rapporteurs have written jointly to the UK government demanding explanation of its inappropriate persecution of journalists and political activists under the Terrorism Act. They state that those persecuted:

appear to have no credible connection to “terrorist” or “hostile” activity

The cases taken up by the United Nations are those of Johanna Ross (Ganyukova), John Laughland, Kit Klarenberg, Craig Murray (yes, me), Richard Barnard and Richard Medhurst.

09.02.2025 - 17:35 [ Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) ]

CCIA Responds to Reports of UK Demand for Worldwide Apple iCloud Access

The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Matt Schruers:

“As the recent Salt Typhoon breach makes clear, end-to-end encryption may be the only safeguard standing between Americans’ sensitive personal and business data and foreign adversaries.

“Reports that Apple has been secretly ordered by the UK Government to weaken its encryption, including in the United States, are a troubling development, if accurate. Decisions about Americans’ privacy and security should be made in America, in an open and transparent fashion, not through secret orders from abroad requiring keys be left under doormats.”

09.02.2025 - 17:30 [ Forbes ]

Apple’s ‘Dangerous’ iPhone Update Is Much Worse Than You Think

So, why is this worse than you think. In my view — and no one can officially comment, so “views” will be all we can share — any such government action would not stop with Apple. Not to over-simplify matters, but a bad actor would simply run Google’s helpful switch to Android software. If the U.K is going after Apple, it’s also going after Google and Meta and others. Why would they not? But Soviet-style, none of these other parties can comment or answer questions or confirm or deny.

08.02.2025 - 17:46 [ Washington Post ]

U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

(February 7, 2025)

The law, known by critics as the Snoopers’ Charter, makes it a criminal offense to reveal that the government has even made such a demand. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.

Apple can appeal the U.K. capability notice to a secret technical panel, which would consider arguments about the expense of the requirement, and to a judge who would weigh whether the request was in proportion to the government’s needs. But the law does not permit Apple to delay complying during an appeal.

08.02.2025 - 17:26 [ theVerge.com ]

Apple ordered to open encrypted user accounts globally to UK spying

Apple’s iCloud backups aren’t encrypted by default, but the Advanced Data Protection option was added in 2022, and must be enabled manually. It uses end-to-end encryption so that not even Apple can access encrypted files. In response to the order, Apple is expected to simply stop offering Advanced Data Protection in the UK. This wouldn’t meet the UK’s demand for access to files shared by global users, however.

08.02.2025 - 17:21 [ TKP.at ]

UK verlangt Zugriff auf verschlüsselte Daten aller Apple-Nutzer weltweit

(today)

Hintertüren, wie die von den Briten geforderte, sind von Natur aus gefährlich. Beim Hack der US-Kommunikationssysteme im Jahr 2024, der angeblich von chinesischen Akteuren durchgeführt wurde, wurde eine Hintertür verwendet, die die USA und andere Regierungen gefordert hatten:

„Dies ist nicht das erste Mal, dass Hacker die von CALEA vorgeschriebenen Abhör-Backdoors ausnutzen. Wie der Computersicherheitsexperte Nicholas Weaver 2015 gegenüber Lawfare betonte, „muss jede in den USA verkaufte Telefonanlage die Möglichkeit bieten, eine große Anzahl von Anrufen effizient abzuhören. Und da die USA einen so großen Markt darstellen, bedeutet dies, dass praktisch jede weltweit verkaufte Telefonanlage die Funktion ‚Lawful Intercept‘ enthält.“

Vor zwei Jahrzehnten wurde diese obligatorische Abhörfunktion von Hackern, die es auf Vodafone Griechenland abgesehen hatten, unterwandert. Sie fingen Telefongespräche des Premierministers des Landes und hochrangiger politischer, polizeilicher und militärischer Beamter ab.“

08.02.2025 - 17:15 [ Techdirt ]

Snooper‘s Charter May Not ‚Increase‘ Surveillance… But Tries To Legalize Over A Decade Of Secret, Illegal Mass Surveillance

(November 6, 2015)

Earlier this week, we wrote about the UK’s release of its new Snooper’s Charter bill, where we noted that the government spin on it was fairly dizzying. I noted at the time that while the government kept insisting that it wasn’t adding a requirement to backdoor encryption, that was misleading because the text of the bill indicated the government believed such a mandate already existed. And that’s only the least of it. The bill and the discussion around it simply confirmed that the UK government engaged in mass surveillance for many, many years, and until now only a “tiny handful” of government ministers even knew about it.

That’s kind of astounding.

And, amazingly, the government is using this fact to argue that the new bill is a good thing because it actually “limits and restricts” activity that it secretly engaged in for years and years.

08.02.2025 - 17:13 [ Techdirt ]

UK Government Goes Full Orwell: Snooper‘s Charter, Encryption Backdoors, Free Speech Suppression

(May 28, 2015)

The old joke goes “George Orwell’s 1984 was a warning, not a ‘how to’ manual.” But that joke is increasingly less funny as the UK really seems to be doing everything it can to put in place Orwell’s fictitious vision — just a few decades later.

(…)

That first sentence is about the extremism orders, but the second part may be even more troubling. It’s the Queen making it clear that the Snooper’s Charter is returning — but even worse than before.