A senior Al Qaeda-linked leader who played chess during deradicalisation sessions has failed in his legal bid to stop attending a UK counterterrorism course.
The extremist, referred to in court papers as QX, had taken his case to London’s High Court, claiming it was against his human rights to be forced to sign into police stations daily and to attend the weekly programme.
The court heard he has refused to engage with the courses and has instead played chess and read books.
Britain classified him as a threat to national security after learning he travelled to Syria repeatedly and was a senior leader in a militant group affiliated to Al Qaeda.
Mrs Justice Judith Farbey, sitting at the High Court, has rejected his case for a review of his monitoring conditions and ruled they do not breach his human rights.
“In my judgment, the Secretary of State is properly able to put her case on the basis that the claimant has been and is a person with an ideological commitment to a terrorist group that seeks to carry out violent attacks on the West and on the United Kingdom,” she said.
“He has held a significant leadership role in Syria. Since his return to the United Kingdom, he has failed to engage with the mentors and theologians who have been provided to rehabilitate him under the statutory scheme.
“The Secretary of State may properly contend that, for these reasons, the claimant remains a threat to national security and that the section 9 obligations are necessary and proportionate.”
The married father-of-three had been banned from the UK for two years in November 2018 because of the risk he posed to national security after he travelled to Syria and joined an Al Qaeda-linked group, according to court documents.
The extremist, who was described by the government as a “significant terrorism-related risk”, was arrested in Istanbul and deported back to Britain in 2019.
It had to accept the return of QX despite the ban, and told him to report every day to a police station and to attend a two-hour session weekly.
The programme has proved controversial after terrorist Usman Khan, who attended the course, later launched a murderous attack in the UK capital last December, less than a year after his release from prison for plotting to blow up the London Stock Exchange.
QX claimed the sessions served no “useful purpose” and that he barely took part, saying he feared information he passed on would be used against him during a criminal investigation, the High Court was told. He faces criminal charges over three alleged breaches of the order, the court was told.
“Although I am obliged to attend the appointments with [the mentor], I am not under any compulsion to speak to him,” QX’s statement to the court read.
“This has been confirmed by [the Secretary of State] … As I am not engaging in the sessions, they are a complete waste of both mine and my mentor’s time.”
In a statement, the Secretary of State said the failure of QX to engage was a “national security risk”.
“Many of the benefits pertain regardless of QX’s engagement, and in any event, removing the requirement on the basis of non-engagement would create an incentive for subjects to decline to participate which would be damaging to national security,” it said.
“The mentoring obligation is designed to support an individual’s re-integration into UK society. We assess that QX has not taken steps to re-integrate into UK society and has not achieved reintegration.”
Britain applied for a temporary exclusion order in 2018 after QX was assessed to have travelled to Syria and “aligned with a group that is aligned to Al Qaeda” and showed a strong commitment to its ideology.
The government assessment said that “QX poses a significant terrorism-related risk to members of the public”.
“An individual aligning with an Al Qaeda-aligned group will be subject to radicalisation and desensitised to violence, so this ideological commitment is likely to remain, or even grow stronger,” the government said.
It said the threat included carrying out “violent attacks”, recruiting UK operatives or providing support to Al Qaeda.
The 2015 law that introduced the exclusion orders allowed for the return of the barred individual in a few narrow circumstances, including deportation.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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The five pillars of Islam
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
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Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
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Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
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Transmission: eight-speed auto
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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