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Organisers of pro-Palestine rallies in the UK could be made to pay charges to help cover the cost of policing rallies under proposals reportedly being looked at by the Government.
Lord Walney has recommended the UK Government consider the idea for groups that are disruptive or break laws, The Telegraph reported.
Pro-Palestine protests and pro-Israel rallies have taken place in London in the weeks since the war in Gaza began on October 7.
Lord Walney has been looking at political violence and disruption and the pressures on policing.
“The Government should consider the viability of requiring protest organisers to contribute to policing costs when groups are holding a significant number of large protests causing disruption or involving lawbreaking,” the Walney report said.
One extract reportedly said: “The number of marches being organised around the Israel-Hamas conflict, the scale of these marches, and the behaviour of some protesters means that a great amount of police resource is being directed to these protests”.
It added: “With the repeated incitements and disorder seen at the anti-Israel marches, such as when firecrackers have been thrown at police, I believe that there is an argument that the organisers should cover some of these policing costs.”
Lord Walney said: “Aside from the sense of fear that the pro-Palestine marches are causing for many Jewish people in Britain, we cannot ignore the considerable strain this drumbeat is placing on already overstretched police forces.”
On Saturday, pro-Palestine protesters staged a sit-in at Westminster Bridge, the first major demonstration of 2024. Hundreds of protesters blocked off the bridge and surrounding roads.
Many joined a sit-in that was fenced off on three sides by a police cordon. Other protesters wore face masks of leading politicians, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden, and held up hands covered in red paint.
The demonstration, organised by the Free Palestine Coalition, renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and demanded that the UK stop arms sales to Israel.
In December, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist told MPs that £17 million ($21 million) had been spent on policing protests between October 7 and December 8.
He called it the “greatest period of sustained pressure on the Met since the Olympics in 2012".
The Home Office has not officially commented.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
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The specs
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
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Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
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360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
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What is a calorie?
A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.
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A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.
Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
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