Thousands of protesters marched through central London on Saturday to mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, the forcible displacement of 800,000 Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948.
Published On 16 May 202616 May 2026
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British capital sees heightened security as right wing rally takes place at the same time as Nakba Day march.
Published On 16 May 202616 May 2026
Tens of thousands of people are marching through central London in two separate protests – one pro-Palestine demonstration a day after Nakba Day, and the other, a far-right rally staged by Tommy Robinson.
Police in the British capital deployed 4,000 officers, including reinforcements from outside the city, on Saturday and pledged “the most assertive possible use of our powers” in what they called their biggest public order operation in years.
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Armoured vehicles, horses, dogs, drones and helicopters were also deployed to manage the separate protest marches, the UK Metropolitan Police said.
By 1200 GMT, shortly after both marches started, police said they had made 11 arrests for a range of offences. They had earlier forecast turnout of at least 80,000 – about 50,000 at Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” march, and 30,000 more expected to go to the Nakba Day rally.
Authorities had imposed various conditions on the two rallies over their routes and timings, in a bid to keep rival attendees apart.
Prosecutors were told to consider whether certain protest placards or chants may amount to offences and stir up aggression during the rallies.
“This is not about restricting free speech,” said the Crown Prosecution Service’s director, Stephen Parkinson. “It is about preventing hate crime and protecting the public, particularly at a time of heightened tensions.”
The police force, which estimates its operation will cost 4.5 million pounds ($6m), warned in a statement that it would adopt “a zero-tolerance approach”. That includes, for the first time, making organisers legally responsible for ensuring invited speakers do not break hate speech laws.
The British government earlier blocked 11 foreign nationals from entering the country for the “Unite the Kingdom” rally. Right-wing figures claiming to have been barred include Polish politician Dominik Tarczynski, Belgian politician Filip Dewinter, Colombian-American anti-Islam commentator Valentina Gomez and Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek.
On the eve of demonstrations, Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned: “Anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone … can expect to face the full force of the law.”
Starmer – facing intense pressure within his ruling Labour party to quit after far-right Reform UK scored huge wins in local elections last week – accused the organisers of Saturday’s far-right rally of “peddling hatred and division”.
Last September, far-right activist Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – drew about 110,000 people into central London for a similar rally proclaiming “national unity, free speech and Christian values”.
X owner Elon Musk addressed that event, which shocked many in the UK for its scale, directness, and clashes between participants and police, which injured dozens of officers.
Meanwhile, the Stand Up to Racism group has combined its antifascism march with the pro-Palestine event to mark Nakba Day, held annually on March 15 to commemorate the 1948 mass expulsion of Palestinians from their land during the establishment of the state of Israel.
The Met said live facial recognition would be used for the first time to police the protests.
THERE’S nothing worse than coming home from holiday to be hit with massive data roaming charges from your mobile provider.
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A WOMAN was left £900 out of pocket and missed her own 50th birthday abroad because of a passport mistake STILL being made by thousands.
Ali Burridge, from Suffolk, was due to fly to Benidorm with 15 of her friends during the May bank holiday weekend for celebrate her big birthday.
Having spent £900 on flights and accommodation, she ran into problems after arriving at the airport
Staff behind the counter at London Stansted gave her the “heartbreaking” news that she couldn’t board the plane due to a passport rule she had “no idea about”.
The rules, which have been in place since the UK left the EU, no longer allows passports to be older than 10 years – unlike previous rules which let you roll up to nine months over.
Thousands of Brits have been caught out by the confusing rule, which is when your expiry date is actually incorrect.
This also caught Ali out, who bought her passport before the new rules and meant she didn’t realise the extra time on her passport was no longer valid.
She said: “It was awful when I was told the news, to be honest, I’m still in shock.
“I had been looking forward to this since my 40th birthday – we had spent the previous year organising it all. In reality, the rule has cost me money and memories.”
Her sister Tracey said the girls were “in tears” after they landed and heard the news, with them travelling out on an earlier flight.
Ali also said that no issues were raised on the website when she checked in two weeks before, despite it asking for her expiry date.
She continued: “If it had flagged the issues, I would have been able to get a new one, which is annoying.”
Despite driving to Peterborough with an attempt to get a new one at the Passport Office, she was unable to in time for her trip.
Instead, she was forced to stay home whilst some of her friends that had already made it out there enjoyed the sun – who managed to FaceTime her while out there.
She added: “I still know and see a lot of people travelling on the old passport, so I want to raise awareness so this doesn’t happen to others.
“You could be easily caught out like me if you don’t travel often. I’m seeing this situation as a valuable life lesson.”
Thousands of protesters gathered in India’s northeastern Manipur state to mark three years since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023 between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki-Zo communities. The conflict, driven by disputes over land and political power has killed nearly 260 people and displaced around 60,000.
Published On 3 May 20263 May 2026
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Studies show extreme rain has become more frequent in country, as Pernambuco and Paraiba states again battered.
Published On 2 May 20262 May 2026
At least six people have died in heavy rains in northeastern Brazil, with thousands more displaced, according to authorities.
The deaths were reported in the Pernambuco and Paraiba states on Saturday, following two days of rain.
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In Pernambuco, flooding and landslides were reported in Recife, the state capital. At least two people were confirmed killed in the city. Two others were killed in nearby Olinda.
About 1,500 were displaced by the storms.
In Paraiba, the state capital, Joao Pessoa and the city of Campina Grande were among the hardest hit. At least two people were confirmed killed in the state, with 1,500 displaced.
The National Center for Risk and Disaster Management said it issued 22 emergency alerts during the rain.
“Due to the impacts in Pernambuco and Paraiba and the weather forecast for the region, the operational level was raised to maximum alert,” it said.
The ministry reported that rain had eased on Saturday, but urged continued vigilance.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on X that he had spoken with local authorities to offer support.
“The government continues to monitor the situation to provide all necessary assistance,” he added.
A study released last year by the Brazilian Alliance for Ocean Culture found that rain disasters, including flooding and landslides, tripled in Brazil from 1991 to 2023.
In February, at least 64 people were killed in floods and landslides in Minas Gerais state.
In 2024, at least 183 people were killed in flooding in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
In 2022, 233 people were killed in flooding in the city of Petropolis in southeastern Brazil.
Three months later, at least 130 people were killed in heavy rains in Recife.
