British MP's killer was referred to counter-terrorism scheme: Reports - CNA

The BBC said it had received confirmation from Whitehall officials that the man's name is Ali Harbi Ali.

Ali, a British citizen of Somali heritage, had been referred to Prevent, the UK's scheme for those thought at risk of radicalisation a few years ago, the BBC reported.

FAST-PACED INVESTIGATION 

Ali is believed not to have spent long on the programme, which is voluntary in nature, and was never formally a "subject of interest" to MI5, the domestic security agency, said the BBC.

Police and security services believe the attacker acted alone and was "self-radicalised", The Sunday Times reported, while he may have been inspired by Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in Somalia.

Ali's father Harbi Ali Kullane, a former adviser to the prime minister of Somalia, confirmed to The Sunday Times that his son was in custody, adding: "I'm feeling very traumatised."

Police said they have been carrying out searches at three addresses in the London area in a "fast-paced investigation".

The Sun tabloid reported that the attacker stabbed Amess multiple times in the presence of two women staff, before sitting down and waiting for police to arrive.

The Daily Mail newspaper reported that he had booked an appointment a week ahead.

CANDLE-LIT VIGIL

On Saturday evening, hundreds of mourners attended a candle-lit vigil at a sports field near the scene of the crime, holding a minute's silence in the MP's memory.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier visited the crime scene to pay his respects on Saturday, laying floral wreaths outside the church with the leader of the opposition, Labour leader Keir Starmer in a rare show of unity.

Local residents including members of the Muslim community also heaped bouquets next to the police tape.

Britain's politicians were stunned by the highly public attack, which recalled the murder of a pro-EU lawmaker ahead of the Brexit referendum.

In June 2016, Labour MP Jo Cox was killed by a far-right extremist, prompting demands for action against what lawmakers said was "a rising tide" of public abuse and threats against elected representatives.

Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday ordered police across the country to review security arrangements for all 650 MPs and The Sunday Times reported that every MP could be granted security protection when meeting the public.

'CANNOT BE COWED'

"We will carry on ... We live in an open society, a democracy. We cannot be cowed by any individual," Patel told journalists after laying a wreath for her fellow Essex MP.

Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative MP who tried to save a stabbed police officer during a 2017 terror attack near the Houses of Parliament, on Twitter urged "a temporary pause in surgeries, or face-to-face meetings with constituents, until the security review is complete".

House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle in The Observer wrote that "we need to take stock" and review whether security measures introduced after Cox's murder are "adequate to safeguard members, staff and constituents, especially during surgeries".

INCREASING THREATS

MPs and their staff have been attacked before, although it is rare.

But their safety was thrown into sharp focus by Brexit, which stoked deep political divisions and has led to often angry, partisan rhetoric.

Cox's killer repeatedly shouted "Britain first" before shooting and stabbing the 41-year-old MP outside her constituency meeting near Leeds, northern England.

Amess was at the other end of the political spectrum and backed Brexit.

A specialist police unit set up to investigate threats against MPs in the aftermath of Cox's murder said 678 crimes against lawmakers were reported between 2016 and 2020.

Amess himself wrote about public harassment and online abuse in his book "Ayes & Ears: A Survivor's Guide to Westminster", published last year.

"These increasing attacks have rather spoilt the great British tradition of the people openly meeting their elected politicians," he said.

MPs have had to install security cameras and only meet constituents by appointment, he added.

Unlike some MPs, Amess publicised meeting times for constituents on Twitter and held them in public places, while asking people to book ahead.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvYnJpdGlzaC1tcHMta2lsbGVyLXdhcy1yZWZlcnJlZC1jb3VudGVyLXRlcnJvcmlzbS1zY2hlbWUtcmVwb3J0cy0yMjQ5NTkx0gEA?oc=5

2021-10-16 23:15:57Z
52781939773107

Myanmar junta 'extremely disappointed' over ASEAN summit snub: Official - CNA

YANGON: Myanmar's junta said on Saturday (Oct 16) it was "extremely disappointed" with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) decision to exclude its leader Min Aung Hlaing from an upcoming summit, amid concerns by the regional bloc over his military government's commitment to solving a deadly political stalemate.

"Myanmar is extremely disappointed and strongly objected (to) the outcomes of the emergency foreign ministers meeting, as the discussions and decision on Myanmar's representation issue was done without consensus and was against the objectives of ASEAN," the Myanmar Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Foreign ministers from ASEAN agreed at an emergency meeting late on Friday that a "non-political representative" for Myanmar would be invited to the Oct 26 to Oct 28 summit, current ASEAN chair Brunei said in a statement.

Earlier, junta spokesman brigadier general Zaw Min Tun told the BBC Burmese section that "interference" from non-ASEAN countries had also been a factor.

He seized on talks between the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and ASEAN special envoy, Brunei's Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof, ahead of the meeting and also singled out EU pressure.

The bloc took a strong stand after the junta rebuffed requests that a special envoy meets with "all stakeholders" in Myanmar - a phrase seen to include ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The statement noted "insufficient progress" in the implementation of a five-point plan agreed by ASEAN leaders in April to end turmoil following a coup in February.

It also said that the situation in Myanmar "was having an impact on regional security as well as the unity, credibility and centrality of ASEAN".

ASEAN has been under international pressure to address unrest that erupted after the putsch, including massive protests; renewed clashes between the military and ethnic rebel armies in border regions; and an economy spiralling into freefall.

The bloc has expressed disappointment at a lack of cooperation from the junta, which continues to crack down brutally on dissent. Almost 1,200 civilians have been killed, according to a local monitoring group.

Part of the consensus was to allow a long-delayed visit by a special envoy, Brunei Second Foreign Minister Yusof.

ASEAN has insisted that he meets with all parties concerned, but the junta rejected any proposed meetings with people on trial, among them Aung San Suu Kyi, who is facing various charges.

Aung Myo Min, the human rights minister of a shadow government of ousted Myanmar lawmakers called the NUG, praised the exclusion as "a very strong action" and voiced hope ASEAN would recognise the NUG as Myanmar's legitimate government.

Political activist Minn Khant Kyaw Linn, 23, who organised a protest in Mandalay where the ASEAN flag was burnt in June, said it was time for the bloc to allow NUG representatives to its meetings.

The junta - officially known as the State Administration Council - has promised to hold elections and lift a state of emergency by August 2023.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9teWFubWFyLWp1bnRhLWRpc2FwcG9pbnRlZC1hc2Vhbi1leGNsdWRlLW1pbi1hdW5nLWhsYWluZy1zdW1taXQtMjI0OTI5NtIBAA?oc=5

2021-10-16 15:35:39Z
52781936974501

Murder of British MP puts spotlight on safety and constituency politics - The Straits Times

LONDON - Police in Britain have officially declared the killing of a Member of Parliament a "terrorist incident", claiming that initial investigations revealed "Islamist extremism as a potential motivation".

Mr David Amess, a 69-year-old MP from the ruling Conservative party, was stabbed several times with a knife while meeting his constituents in a church in the town of Leigh-on-Sea, east of London.

Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article.

Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month

• Latest headlines and exclusive stories
• In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content
• Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months*

*Terms and conditions apply.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vd29ybGQvZXVyb3BlL211cmRlci1vZi1icml0aXNoLW1wLXB1dHMtc3BvdGxpZ2h0LW9uLXNhZmV0eS1hbmQtY29uc3RpdHVlbmN5LXBvbGl0aWNz0gEA?oc=5

2021-10-16 09:13:29Z
52781939773107

Singapore supports move to invite 'non-political representative' from Myanmar to attend ASEAN summits - CNA

Brunei will host the 38th and 39th ASEAN summits and related summits from Oct 26 to Oct 28. 

Brunei's Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Yusof was picked by his ASEAN counterparts in August as the bloc's special envoy to Myanmar. There have been calls for him to meet ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, something the Myanmar junta has already said no to.

The MFA spokesperson said that Singapore "commends" the efforts by Mr Erywan and reiterates its "full support" for the special envoy's mission and Brunei's ASEAN chairmanship. 

"Singapore urges the Myanmar military authorities to cooperate with the Special Envoy to swiftly and fully implement the Five-Point Consensus," the MFA spokesperson said. 

NO CONSENSUS AFTER FRIDAY'S MEETING

In a statement on Friday, Brunei said no consensus had reached for a political representative to attend the meetings in Bandar Seri Begawan.

"As there had been insufficient progress ... as well as concerns over Myanmar’s commitment, in particular on establishing constructive dialogue among all concerned parties, some ASEAN Member States recommended that ASEAN give space to Myanmar to restore its internal affairs and return to normalcy," Brunei said.

The statement did not mention Min Aung Hlaing or name the non-political figure to be invited in his stead.

Brunei added that some ASEAN member states had received requests from Myanmar's National Unity Government, formed by opponents of the junta, to attend the summit.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGFubmVsbmV3c2FzaWEuY29tL3NpbmdhcG9yZS9tZmEtc2luZ2Fwb3JlLXN1cHBvcnRzLWFzZWFuLW1vdmUtaW52aXRlLW5vbi1wb2xpdGljYWwtcmVwcmVzZW50YXRpdmUtc3VtbWl0LW15YW5tYXItMjI0ODg2NtIBAA?oc=5

2021-10-16 08:25:52Z
52781936974501

Anwar defends MOU with Malaysian government, cautions against early polls - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has defended the memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached between his Pakatan Harapan coalition and the government led by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, insisting that it led to parliamentary reforms and an agreement to implement the new lower voting age before the end of the year.

But Datuk Seri Anwar stressed that many contentious issues remained on the table, particularly over the issue of corruption, and warned that PH support for the upcoming budget later this month was far from guaranteed.

Please subscribe to continue reading the full article.

Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month

• Latest headlines and exclusive stories
• In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content
• Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months*

*Terms and conditions apply.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYXNpYS9zZS1hc2lhL2Fud2FyLWRlZmVuZHMtbW91LXdpdGgtZ292ZXJubWVudC1jYXV0aW9ucy1hZ2FpbnN0LWVhcmx5LXBvbGxz0gEA?oc=5

2021-10-15 21:00:00Z
CAIiEH6ZsA2X1J2d8FSOPuspCPoqGQgEKhAIACoHCAow_7X3CjCh49YCMMa2pwU

Fatal stabbing of British lawmaker declared as a terrorist incident - CNA

The fatal stabbing of British Member of Parliament David Amess was a terrorist incident, police said on Saturday (Oct 16), at they investigated the second killing of a UK politician while meeting voters since 2016.

The Metropolitan Police said its preliminary findings had revealed "a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism".

Amess, a 69-year-old pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker, was stabbed to death inside a church on Friday while holding a fortnightly consultation with his constituents in the small town of Leigh-on-Sea, in Essex, east of London.

Police arrested a 25-year-old man at the scene on suspicion of murder and recovered a knife.

Essex police said officers had responded "within minutes" to reports of the stabbing shortly after 12.05pm local time (7.05pm Singapore time) and arrived to find Amess had "suffered multiple injuries".

Paramedics fought to save his life on the floor of the church - where a sign says "All are welcome here: Where old friends meet and strangers feel at home" - but in vain.

"This was a difficult incident, but our officers and paramedics from the East of England Ambulance Service worked extremely hard to save Sir David," Harrington said.

"Tragically he died at the scene."

A father of five who was first elected to parliament in 1983, Amess was memorialised with an impromptu evening mass while tributes poured in from across the political spectrum and around the world.

Multiple UK media outlets, citing sources, reported that the suspect was believed to be a British national with Somali heritage.

"The investigation is in its very early stages and is being led by officers from the specialist counter-terrorism command," Ben-Julian Harrington, Essex police's chief constable, told reporters.

"We made it clear at the time of the incident that we did not believe there was any immediate further threat to anyone else in the area," Harrington said.

"MUCH-LOVED"

The killing has sent shockwaves around Britain.

Flags were lowered to half-mast in Westminster as tributes were paid to Amess, whose death came five years after the murder of Labour party MP Jo Cox by a far-right extremist.

In a book last year called Ayes & Ears: A Survivor's Guide to Westminster, Amess noted that Cox's death had prompted new security guidance to lawmakers that threatened to limit their access to constituents.

"This sort of thing just was not supposed to happen in the UK," he wrote about Cox's killing.

"These increasing attacks have rather spoilt the great British tradition of the people openly meeting their elected politicians."

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvc3RhYmJpbmctbXVyZGVyLWRhdmlkLWFtZXNzLXRlcnJvcmlzdC1pbmNpZGVudC1jaHVyY2gtc3RhYmJpbmctMjI0ODQzMdIBAA?oc=5

2021-10-16 00:01:00Z
52781939773107

British lawmaker stabbed to death at voter meeting in church - CNA

LEIGH-ON-SEA, England: A British lawmaker was stabbed to death on Friday (Oct 15) in a church by a 25-year-old man who lunged at him at a meeting with voters from his constituency, knifing him repeatedly in an attack which politicians described as an assault on democracy.

David Amess, a 69-year-old lawmaker from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party, was attacked at around midday at a meeting at the red-brick Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, east of London.

Paramedics fought to save his life on the floor of the church - where a sign says "All are welcome here: where old friends meet and strangers feel at home" - but in vain.

"He was treated by emergency services but, sadly, died at the scene," police said. "A 25-year-old man was quickly arrested after officers arrived at the scene on suspicion of murder and a knife was recovered."

Armed police swooped on the church and detectives said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. There was no detail about a motive for the attack.

"He was stabbed several times," John Lamb, a local councillor at the scene, told Reuters.

Colleagues from across parliament expressed their shock and paid tribute to Amess, one of Britain's longest-serving lawmakers who held regular meetings with voters on the first and third Friday of the month, saying he was diligent in his duties to his local area.

Flags in Downing Street were lowered in tribute.

Amess, married with five children, was first elected to parliament to represent Basildon in 1983, and then stood for Southend West in 1997. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his public service in 2015.

His website listed his main interests as "animal welfare and pro-life issues". He was popular with lawmakers and known for his active contributions to debates - often about issues relating to his Essex constituency or animal rights.

In his last contribution to the House of Commons last month, he asked for a debate about animal welfare.

TRAGIC DAY FOR DEMOCRACY

The stabbing at a meeting with constituents has echoes of a 2010 incident when Labour lawmaker Stephen Timms survived a stabbing in his constituency office, and the 2016 fatal shooting of Labour's Jo Cox just days before the Brexit referendum.

"Attacking our elected representatives is an attack on democracy itself," Cox's husband, Brendan, said on Twitter. "There is no excuse, no justification. It is as cowardly as it gets.

"This brings everything back. The pain, the loss, but also how much love the public gave us following the loss of Jo. I hope we can do the same for David now."

The speaker of the House of Commons said the security of lawmakers would have to discussed.

"This is an incident that will send shockwaves across the parliamentary community and the whole country," Lindsay Hoyle said. "In the coming days we will need to discuss and examine MPs’ security."

As news of the attack emerged, Prime Minister Johnson rushed back to London from a meeting in Bristol, western England. Colleagues said Amess was a gentle man and cast him as a true gentleman.

"Heartbreaking to hear of the death of Sir David Amess," former Prime Minister Theresa May said. "A decent man and respected parliamentarian, killed in his own community while carrying out his public duties. A tragic day for our democracy."

Johnson's wife, Carrie, said she was devastated.

"Absolutely devastating news about Sir David Amess. He was hugely kind and good," she said on Twitter. "An enormous animal lover and a true gent. This is so completely unjust."

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMidGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvYnJpdGlzaC1sYXdtYWtlci1kYXZpZC1hbWVzcy1raWxsZWQtc3RhYmJpbmctY2h1cmNoLWNvbnNlcnZhdGl2ZS1wYXJ0eS0yMjQ3NjUx0gEA?oc=5

2021-10-15 14:12:00Z
52781939773107