Author: Loveworld UK

A “ground-breaking” international operation has crippled the propaganda machine of Islamic State. European policing agency Europol said the two-day “takedown” action had “punched a big hole in the capability of IS to spread propaganda online and radicalise young people in Europe”.A particular target was the group’s Amaq news agency, which has been used by IS to broadcast claims of responsibility for attacks and spread propaganda messages.The operation involved authorities from the UK, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Romania, and the US.In a statement, Europol said: “With this takedown action, targeting major IS-branded media outlets like Amaq, but also al-Bayan…

A plunge in construction activity and the so-called Beast from the East took a toll on the economy in the first quarter, with growth falling to 0.1%. The preliminary figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which were much worse than economists and markets had predicted, showed the weakest growth since 2012.They sparked a dive in the value of the pound, trading at $1.38 versus the dollar after falling almost a cent, as expectations of a rise in interest rates by the Bank of England next month tumbled.The Bank had been forecasting a rise in gross domestic product (GDP)…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged a “new history” with South Korea as he met his counterpart south of the border, President Moon Jae-in. It is the first time in 65 years that the leaders from the North and South have come face-to-face, making it a rare moment in history and a potential turning point as the pair hold a summit with denuclearisation at the top of the agenda.Mr Kim stepped over the border to greet his rival, and in an unchoreographed move, Mr Kim then invited Mr Moon to cross briefly North with him before they returned…

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has reported first quarter profits of £792m, up 206%, as income grows and costs fall. The bank said its earnings performance demonstrated the “progress” it had made in its turnaround – announcing its first annual profit in a decade just months ago.However, it is expected to agree a multi-billion pound penalty with US authorities this year to settle claims it mis-sold mortgage-backed securities ahead of the financial crisis.Such a deal would have a significant impact on its bottom line.RBS had no update for investors on the negotiations with the US Department of Justice. Image: Natwest…

The parents of terminally ill toddler Alfie Evans have said they will work with doctors to ensure their son has “the dignity and comfort he needs”. Father Tom Evans said the family intend to “form a relationship, build a bridge and walk across it” with the hospital where their son has been treated.”Our lives have been turned upside down by the intense focus on Alfie and his situation,” he told reporters outside of Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.Making a plea for privacy, Mr Evans said: “We are very grateful and we appreciate all the support we have received from around…

Two Italians have been charged after a man was seriously injured in an attack before Liverpool’s Champions League match with Roma. Merseyside Police said Filippo Lombardi, 20, has been charged with violent disorder and inflicting grievous bodily harm against the 53-year-old on Tuesday evening.Daniele Sciusco, 29, has been charged with violent disorder.Both men have been kept in custody, and are due to appear at South Sefton Magistrates Court later. Image: Sean Cox remains in a critical condition Sean Cox, a father of three from Dunboyne, Co Meath, suffered serious head injuries when he was assaulted outside Anfield stadium.The Irish businessman…

The father of sick toddler Alfie Evans says there will be a meeting with doctors later to discuss taking his son home. Tom Evans told reporters outside Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool that his son no longer needs to be in intensive care.Judges on Wednesday rejected appeals made by Alfie’s parents to allow him to be taken to Italy for treatment.Mr Evans and Kate James made applications to the Court of Appeal after a High Court judge ruled they could take their son home from the hospital, but not abroad.Doctors say the toddler has a rare degenerative neurological condition and…

The proposed merger between household energy suppliers SSE and npower is feeling the heat from competition regulators. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Thursday it would refer the deal for an in-depth investigation, unless the firms offered remedies to address its concerns that the tie-up could force up bills for some customers.It gave them until 3 May to offer such measures.The merger, first announced last November, would see the household supply businesses operated by SSE and npower join forces – reducing the industry’s dominant “big six” firms to a “big five”.::MPs demand probe into planned energy mergerThe CMA…

TSB has called in IT specialists to help resolve its digital banking crisis following a bungled upgrade to a new IT system last weekend. The challenger bank used its first-quarter results announcement, which showed a slump in pre-tax profits, to say IBM had been recruited to try and resolve continuing “performance” problems with the new servers.The team will report directly to TSB’s embattled boss, Paul Pester.TSB said all overdraft fees and interest charges for April would be waived for its retail and small business customers, on top of its commitment to ensuring no one was left out of pocket by…

Chinese geologists say North Korea’s main nuclear testing site has collapsed under the stress of five successive bomb tests. A mountain above the notorious facility has collapsed, a study found, rendering it unsafe for future testing and presenting a serious risk of radiation leaking.The paper’s authors, Tian Dongdong, Yao Jiawen and Wen Lianxing, urged that authorities “continue to monitor any leakage of radioactive materials” in view of the “research finding that the North Korea nuclear test site at Mantapsan has collapsed”.The findings follow an announcement by President Kim Jong Un that North Korea would cease activity on its weapons testing…