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US Navy Detains Survivors Following Strike On Suspected Caribbean Drug Vessel
Two survivors rescued from a suspected drug vessel struck by U.S. forces in the Caribbean are now being held aboard an American Navy warship, according to three sources familiar with the situation. The strike, which killed two others on board, has drawn attention to the latest U.S. operation in the region.
The disclosure, which has not been previously reported, raises the possibility that the survivors from Thursday’s strike are the first prisoners of war in a conflict declared by President Donald Trump against a “narcoterrorist” threat he says is emanating from Venezuela.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump told reporters that the strike was against “a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs.” He did not comment on how many were killed or survived the strike.
One of the sources said the vessel struck on Thursday moved below the water and was possibly a semi-submersible, which is a submarine-like vessel used by drug traffickers to avoid detection.
Five sources familiar with the matter said the U.S. military staged a helicopter rescue to pick up the survivors of the attack and bring them back to the U.S. warship.
Strikes Against Suspected Drug Vessels
Prior to Thursday’s operation, U.S. military strikes against suspected drug boats off Venezuela had not left any known survivors and videos presented by the Trump administration showed vessels being destroyed.
The Trump administration has said the previous strikes killed 27 people, raising alarms among some legal experts and Democratic lawmakers, who question whether they adhere to the laws of war.
The strikes come against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and around 6,500 troops as Trump escalates a standoff with the Venezuelan government.
On Wednesday, Trump disclosed he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, adding to speculation in Caracas that the United States is attempting to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
In a letter this week to the United Nations’ 15-member Security Council, Venezuela’s U.N. Ambassador Samuel Moncada asked for a U.N. determination that the U.S. strikes off its coast are illegal and to issue a statement backing Venezuela’s sovereignty.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon disclosed to Congress in a notification that Trump has determined the United States is engaged in “a non-international armed conflict.”
U.S. Military Activities
The document aimed to explain the Trump administration’s legal rationale for unleashing U.S. military force in the Caribbean.
Less than a week ago, the Pentagon announced its counter-narcotics operations in the region would not be led by the Miami-based Southern Command, which oversees U.S. military activities in Latin America.
Instead, the Pentagon said a task force was being created that would be led by II Marine Expeditionary Force, a unit capable of rapid overseas operations that is based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
That decision came as a surprise to U.S. military-watchers, since a combatant command like Southern Command would normally lead any high-profile operations.
On Thursday, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the admiral who leads U.S. Southern Command will step down at the end of this year, two years ahead of schedule, in a surprise move.
(With inputs from Reuters)
UN, US Sanction Haiti Gang Leader And Ex-Palace Security Chief
Cracking down on worsening gang violence in Haiti, the United Nations and United States on Friday imposed new sanctions on a former palace security official and a Port-au-Prince gang leader, following a unanimous Security Council vote.
The sanctions target Bel Air gang leader Kempes Sanon and Dimitri Herard, who headed palace security at the time of President Jovenel Moise’s 2021 assassination and escaped prison during a mass jailbreak last year.
Why It’s Important
Haitian police and gangs have been locked in a years-long conflict that has seen violent criminal groups take control of most of the capital and expand to other parts of the country, displacing over 1.3 million people and killing thousands.
The UN sanctions plan aims to, via travel bans, asset freezes, and an arms embargo, reduce the funding and firearms reaching Haitian gangs. However, illegal arms continue to flow into the Caribbean nation, largely via ports in Florida and its Dominican land border.
It aims to work alongside a security deployment mandated to help Haitian police restore security that has largely stalled due to a lack of contributions and resources.
‘Effective Instrument’
“Haiti views the sanctions regime as an effective instrument of deterrence and justice, if it is properly applied and respected,” Haiti’s UN representative Ericq Pierre told the Security Council.
“Given the current situation, the results are mixed,” he added. “Haiti continues to be regularly supplied with heavy weapons and ammunition coming from abroad. We therefore make an urgent appeal to every state, particularly Haiti’s neighbors, to exercise utmost vigilance in controlling the transfer of arms.”
The US and UN accused Herard of facilitating arms trafficking to Haitian gangs and Sanon, whose gang counts an estimated 150 people, of helping consolidate the influence of the powerful Viv Ansanm gang alliance.
Bel Air Gang
Sanon leads the Bel Air gang, which controls a part of downtown Port-au-Prince that has seen some of the worst violence, including a series of massacres perpetrated by an alliance of gangs led by Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier.
The area had historically resisted Cherizier’s alliance, now known as Viv Ansanm, but after Sanon took control, he joined it.
Herard has, since his 2024 escape, faced rumors of involvement in drug trafficking, a key source of funding for gangs, but has in recent video messages denied these accusations.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Scam Suspects Return To South Korea From Cambodia Amid Widening Probe
Sixty-four South Koreans accused of involvement in online scam operations and detained in Cambodia returned home on Saturday, with most likely to face investigation, according to South Korean officials.
Their return followed the alleged murder of a South Korean college student who was tortured in Cambodia in August in a case linked to an employment scam, according to South Korean media.
Some returnees wore caps and masks and were escorted by police after their arrival at Incheon Airport in Seoul, their hands appearing to be cuffed but covered with cloth.
Code-Black Travel Ban
South Korea this week issued a “code-black” travel ban for parts of Cambodia and dispatched a team of high-level officials to help nationals lured into working in scam compounds and secure the release of those held against their will.
More than 1,000 South Koreans are believed to be among about 200,000 people of various nationalities involved in the scam compounds in Cambodia, South Korea’s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said on Wednesday.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday ordered an urgent removal of online illegal job advertisements – not only for Cambodia but also for Southeast Asia as a whole – to stem the flow of nationals being lured in the first place.
Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina told reporters at the airport that the repatriation “confirmed the Cambodian government’s continued crackdown” on scam operations and its close cooperation with Seoul on the matter.
“Our government will build and actively use an effective system to eradicate scams targeting South Koreans in Cambodia,” she said.
Arrest And Deportation
A senior police official said Cambodian authorities had agreed to notify Seoul of arrests of South Koreans and send them to South Korea to face justice under South Korean law.
The official added that authorities would focus on uncovering the structure, scale, and networks behind the scams, often involving voice-phishing operations.
The United Nations estimates the scam centres which have emerged in Southeast Asia since the COVID-19 pandemic, generate billions of dollars in revenue for criminal networks every year, targeting victims around the world through phone and online scams.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Trump Acknowledges China Tariff Limits, Prepares For Xi Meeting
US President Donald Trump acknowledged that his proposed 100% tariff on Chinese goods was not sustainable in the long run, but held Beijing responsible for the latest deadlock in trade talks, which began after China tightened curbs on rare-earth exports.
Asked whether such a high tariff was sustainable and what that might do to the US economy, Trump replied, “It’s not sustainable, but that’s what the number is.”
“They forced me to do that,” he said in an interview with Fox Business Network that was broadcast on Friday.
‘It’s Got To Be Fair’
Trump unveiled additional levies of 100% on imports of Chinese goods a week ago, along with new export controls on “any and all critical software” by November 1, nine days before existing tariff relief was set to expire.
The new trade actions were Trump’s reaction to China dramatically expanding its export controls on rare earth elements. China dominates the market for such elements, which are essential to tech manufacturing.
Trump also confirmed he would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks in South Korea and expressed admiration for the Chinese leader.
“I think we’re going to be fine with China, but we have to have a fair deal. It’s got to be fair,” Trump said on FBN’s “Mornings with Maria,” which was taped on Thursday.
Later, as he was preparing to have lunch at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss efforts to end its war with Russia, Trump said: “China wants to talk, and we like talking to China.”
The softening in tone and affirmation of his intent to meet with Xi helped stem Wall Street’s early losses on Friday. Major US stock indexes, which have been rattled over the last week by Trump’s abrupt re-imposition of steep levies on Chinese imports and by credit worries among regional banks, were up in afternoon trading.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke with his counterpart, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, on Friday evening in what he called “frank and detailed discussions” about trade, and said the two will meet in person next week.
WTO Urges De-Escalation Of Trade Spats
The head of the World Trade Organization said she urged the US and China to de-escalate trade tensions, warning that a decoupling by the world’s two largest economies could reduce global economic output by 7% over the longer term.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters in an interview the global trade body was extremely concerned about the latest spike in US-China trade tensions and had spoken with officials from both countries to encourage more dialogue.
But tensions continued to run high, even as Trump and Xi prepared to meet.
Bessent Urges Strict Stance Against China
Bessent took aim at China’s state-driven economic practices in a statement to the IMF’s steering committee on Friday, urging the IMF and World Bank to take a tougher stance on China’s external and internal balances and industrial policies that US officials say have helped China build up excess manufacturing capacity that is flooding the world with cheap goods.
And China’s Commerce Ministry on Friday accused the US of undermining the rules-based multilateral trading system since the Trump administration took office in 2025, vowing to intensify its use of dispute settlement actions at the WTO.
It also urged the US to roll back measures that breach non-discrimination rules and align its industrial and security policies with WTO obligations.
Bessent earlier in the week had accused one of He’s top aides of being “unhinged” in recent interactions with US trade negotiators. China said on Friday that Bessent’s remarks “seriously distort the facts”.
(With inputs from Reuters)
France Urges World Bank To Stay Focused On Climate Commitments
France will continue urging the World Bank to stay committed to its climate finance goals, despite mounting pressure from the Trump administration to shift course, newly appointed French development minister Eleonore Caroit said on Friday.
Efforts to address climate change also will feature heavily in France’s presidency of the Group of Seven industrial democracies in 2026, Caroit told reporters on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings in Washington.
She was appointed on Sunday to the cabinet of newly reappointed French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu as junior minister for Francophonie, international partnerships and French people abroad, and rushed straight to Washington.
‘Climate Is At Utmost Importance’
Caroit said she discussed with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent the US call for the World Bank to abandon the goal it set under the Biden administration to boost climate-related financing to 45% of its total lending from 35% previously.
“So we obviously continue to support the 45% objective,” Caroit said, adding that France wanted to keep targets that agree with the Paris climate accords that Trump abandoned for a second time in January.
“And for us, climate is at the utmost importance because we’re aligned with the bank’s objective of development and job creation, but it has to be jobs on a livable planet. Otherwise, why even think of jobs,” she said.
Possible Areas Of Agreement
In 2023, World Bank President Ajay Banga persuaded the bank’s shareholders to adopt a new vision statement with similar language: “A world free of poverty on a livable planet” to incorporate its new climate financing push and expanded balance sheet.
Bessent, who has derided the statement as “vapid, buzzword-centric marketing,” on Friday called on the World Bank to return to financing of coal projects, along with gas, oil and nuclear energy.
In a statement to the IMF steering committee, Bessent said the 45% climate “co-benefits” target “skews projects away from country priorities and distorts projects away from the goal of increasing access” to reliable energy.
“I think what is important is to have frank conversations and see where the disagreements are,” Caroit said.
She added that she was encouraged by Bessent’s engagement on energy sources and that he was open to renewable energy where it made economic sense.
Caroit said the US and France, which has more than 50 nuclear reactors generating more than 70% of the country’s electricity, agree on nuclear power’s status as a sustainable energy source.
The new minister also said France and the US can agree on climate adaptation and resilience development projects that prevent floods or wildfires, which can impact economic growth, and that may ultimately lead to energy transitions. These projects fall under the World Bank climate finance goals.
‘Need To Rethink’
“This is what we call climate and they can call it however they want,” Caroit said.
She said the US and France disagree on climate and many other principles, but both countries will work towards getting more from development in an era of tight fiscal budgets, especially for France.
“We all acknowledge that there’s a need to rethink the whole architectural and financial structure if we want to preserve the most essential development and to have more impact,” Caroit added.
(With inputs from Reuters
Shrinking Workforce: China Extends Civil Service Hiring Age
China has raised the maximum hiring age for certain civil service positions for the first time in over three decades, extending the upper limit from 35 to 38, a move seen as part of a broader effort to confront its aging population and rigid labour norms.
The State Administration of Civil Service announced on Tuesday that applicants for the 2026 national civil service exam must now be between 18 and 38 years old. Those with master’s or doctoral degrees can apply up to age 43, up from 40. The exam, set for November 30, will recruit 38,100 new civil servants nationwide.
State media Global Times described it as “in line with China’s progressive approach to delaying the legal retirement age.” Earlier this year, Beijing began implementing gradual increases in retirement thresholds in an attempt to retain more skilled employees in the labor force.
The policy shift also targets the ‘curse of 35’, a phrase popularized on Chinese social media to describe employers’ reluctance to hire or retain workers beyond their mid-30s. In many industries, especially technology, finance, and media , employees report facing layoffs or rejection once they cross that age line, regardless of experience.
China’s population is aging rapidly, with those aged 60 and above expected to make up at least 40% of the population by 2035, more than 400 million people, roughly equal to the combined populations of the U.S. and U.K.
To tackle the age-based discrimination in jobs, China has raised the retirement age for men to 63 years from 60, while for women in white-collar work has been raised to 58 years from 55. For women in blue-collar work it has been increased to 55 from 50.
By easing civil service age limits, Beijing hopes not only to expand its talent pool but also to reshape attitudes toward aging in the workplace.
UK: Prince Andrew Drops ‘Duke of York’ Title
Facing sustained public scrutiny over his links to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, UK’s Prince Andrew has decided to relinquish the use of his Duke of York title.
The reputation of Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles and second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has taken a battering in recent years, most notably because of his links to Epstein.
A court ruling last year also revealed that the British government believed one of his close business associates was a Chinese spy. Andrew at the time said he had stopped all contact with the businessman.
Andrew Says He Is Putting Country First
In a statement on Friday, Andrew said “the continued accusations about me” distracted from the work of his elder brother King Charles and the wider work of the British royal family.
“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life,” Andrew said.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use the title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
His decision to give up his titles was taken following discussion with senior royals. The king was glad about the outcome, according to a royal source.
Andrew, 65, the eighth-in-line to the throne, was once regarded as a dashing naval officer and served in the military during the Falklands War with Argentina in the early 1980s.
But he was forced to step down from a roving UK trade ambassador role in 2011, before quitting all royal duties in 2019 and then was stripped of his military links and royal patronages in 2022 amid allegations of sexual misconduct which he has always denied.
Virginia Giuffre Lawsuit
That year, he settled a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who died in April, which accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. Andrew has always denied her account, which has returned to prominence in the last week with the release of her memoir.
In her book, she said “entitled” Andrew believed it was his birthright to have sex with her, according to extracts published by the Guardian newspaper.
“Things are simply not going away,” royal biographer Robert Hardman told BBC TV. “And I think the palace has decided, and Prince Andrew has agreed, that there really has to be a further separation.
“He wants to look as if he’s proactive and try and regain some dignity out of this.”
Britons Support Stripping Andrew Of Titles
According to a recent poll by YouGov, 67% of Britons supported stripping Andrew of his remaining royal titles, with 13% opposing the move. A separate survey found only 5% of respondents had a favourable view of him.
Andrew, who had already given up being called “His Royal Highness”, still remains a prince and will continue to live in Royal Lodge, a large property on the estate surrounding Windsor Castle, a historic royal palace to the west of London.
However, he will no longer attend the annual royal Christmas get-togethers at Sandringham, the royal home in eastern England.
His daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will be unaffected, but his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will also no longer be known as the Duchess of York.
In September, several charities cut their links to her after she described Epstein as a “supreme friend” in an email three years after he had pleaded guilty in 2008 to a state prostitution charge in Florida and agreed to register as a sex offender.
Problematic Business Relations
In addition to the ties to Epstein that dogged him, Andrew’s business relations have also proved problematic.
Last December, court documents revealed that a Chinese businessman who had been authorised to act on Andrew’s behalf to seek investors in China had been banned from Britain on national security grounds.
The documents revealed the businessman, who the British government believed to be a spy, had been invited to Andrew’s birthday party.
The British royal family has seen its working numbers diminish in the last few years, with the king’s younger son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan having also stepped down from official duties.
While Andrew’s title will be inactive rather than taken away, historian Anthony Seldon told the BBC that the last time a senior royal was stripped of a dukedom was more than 100 years ago.
“Looking historically, this is a very, very significant step,” Seldon said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Hamas Rejects Disarmament, Wants Interim Control In Gaza
A senior Hamas leader has told Reuters that the group intends to retain security control in Gaza during any interim arrangement, and stopped short of committing to disarmament — a stance that highlights the challenges facing US efforts to bring an end to the ongoing conflict.
Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal also said the group was ready for a ceasefire of up to five years to rebuild devastated Gaza, with guarantees for what happens afterwards depending on Palestinians being given “horizons and hope” for statehood.
Speaking to Reuters in an interview from Doha, where Hamas politicians have long resided, Nazzal defended the group’s crackdown in Gaza, where it carried out public executions on Monday. There were always “exceptional measures” during war and those executed were criminals guilty of killing, he said.
Pressure To Disarm
While Hamas has broadly expressed these views before, the timing of Nazzal’s comments demonstrates the major obstacles obstructing efforts to cement a full end to the war in Gaza, days after the first phase of the ceasefire was agreed.
They point to big gaps between Hamas’ positions and US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, ahead of negotiations expected to address Hamas’ weapons and how Gaza is governed.
Asked for comment on Nazzal’s remarks, the Israeli prime minister’s office said Israel was committed to the ceasefire agreement and continued to uphold and fulfil its side of the plan.
“Hamas is supposed to release all hostages in stage 1. It has not. Hamas knows where the bodies of our hostages are. Hamas are to be disarmed under this agreement. No ifs, no buts. They have not. Hamas need to adhere to the 20-point plan. They are running out of time,” it said in a statement to Reuters.
Trump’s September 29 plan called for Hamas to immediately return all hostages before committing to disarmament and ceding governance of Gaza to a technocratic committee overseen by an international transitional body.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the plan, saying it would dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities, end its political rule, and ensure that Gaza would never again pose a threat to Israel.
Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and abducted another 251 during the October 7 attacks on Israel that triggered the war, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s military response killed nearly 68,000 people in Gaza, according to local authorities.
Pummelled by Israel in the war, the Palestinian Islamist group is under intense pressure to disarm and surrender control of Gaza or risk a resumption of the conflict.
‘What Does It Mean’?
Asked if Hamas would give up its arms, Nazzal, speaking on Wednesday, said: “I can’t answer with a yes or no. Frankly, it depends on the nature of the project. The disarmament project you’re talking about, what does it mean? To whom will the weapons be handed over?”
He added that issues to be discussed in the next phase of negotiations, including weapons, concerned not only Hamas but other armed Palestinian groups, and would require Palestinians more broadly to reach a position.
Asked for its response to Nazzal’s remarks, the White House directed Reuters to comments by Trump on Thursday.
“We have a commitment from them and I assume they’re going to honour their commitment,” Trump said, noting that Hamas had returned more bodies but without elaborating on the issue of it disarming or its interim presence on the ground.
Nazzal also said the group had no interest in keeping the remaining bodies of deceased hostages seized in the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Hamas has handed over at least nine out of 28 bodies. It was encountering technical problems recovering more, he said, adding that international parties such as Turkey or the US would help search if needed.
A senior Turkish official said last week that Turkey would take part in a joint task force along with Israel, the US, Qatar and Egypt to locate the bodies.
Hamas agreed on October 4 to release the hostages and hand over governance to a technocratic committee, but said other matters needed to be addressed within a wider Palestinian framework. It released all living hostages on Monday.
Nazzal said the phase two negotiations would begin soon.
Goals Of Elections, ‘Hope’ For Palestinians
On Tuesday, Trump said he had communicated to Hamas that it must disarm or it would be forced to. Trump has also suggested Hamas was given temporary approval for internal security operations in Gaza, and has endorsed Hamas killing members of gangs.
Noting Trump’s remarks, Nazzal said there was an understanding regarding Hamas’ presence on the ground, without specifying among whom, indicating it was necessary to protect aid trucks from thieves and armed gangs.
“This is a transitional phase. Civilly, there will be a technocratic administration as I said. On the ground, Hamas will be present,” he said. After the transitional phase, there should be elections, he said.
Nazzal said mediators had not discussed with the group an international stabilisation force for Gaza, which was proposed in Trump’s ceasefire plan.
Hamas’ founding charter called for the destruction of Israel, although the group’s leaders have at times offered a long-term truce with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war.
Israel regards this position as a ruse.
Nazzal said Hamas had suggested a long-term truce in meetings with US officials, and wanted a truce of at least three to five years to rebuild the Gaza Strip. “The goal isn’t to prepare for a future war.”
Beyond that period, guarantees for the future would require states to “provide horizons and hope for the Palestinian people”, he said.
“The Palestinian people want an independent Palestinian state,” he added.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Meta To Let Parents Disable Teen Chats With AI Characters
Meta on Friday announced that it will allow parents to turn off private chats between teens and AI characters — a move aimed at enhancing safety for minors on its platforms, following strong criticism over the flirtatious nature of some of its chatbots.
Earlier this week, the company said its AI experiences for teens will be guided by the PG-13 movie rating system, as it looks to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content.
US regulators have stepped up scrutiny of AI companies over the potential negative impacts of chatbots. In August, Reuters reported how Meta’s AI rules allowed provocative conversations with minors.
New Tools To Debut On Instagram
The new tools, detailed by Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, will debut on Instagram early next year, in the US, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, according to a blog post.
Meta said parents will also be able to block specific AI characters and see broad topics their teens discuss with chatbots and Meta’s AI assistant, without turning off AI access entirely.
Its AI assistant will remain available with age-appropriate defaults even if parents disable teens’ one‑on‑one chats with AI characters, Meta said.
The supervision features are built on protections already applied to teen accounts, the company said, adding that it uses AI signals to place suspected teens into protection even if they say they are adults.
A report in September showed that many safety features Meta has implemented on Instagram over the years do not work well or exist.
Meta said its AI characters are designed not to engage in age-inappropriate discussions about self-harm, suicide or disordered eating with teens.
Last month, OpenAI rolled out parental controls for ChatGPT on the web and mobile, following a lawsuit by the parents of a teen who died by suicide after the startup’s chatbot allegedly coached him on methods of self-harm.
(With inputs from Reuters)
UK Court To Review Pro-Palestine Group Ban After Government Appeal Fails
The British government on Friday lost its appeal to prevent the co-founder of the pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action from launching a legal challenge against the group’s ban under anti-terrorism legislation.
Huda Ammori, who helped found Palestine Action in 2020, was given permission to challenge the group’s proscription on the grounds that the ban is a disproportionate interference with free speech rights, with her case due to be heard next month.
Britain’s Home Office (interior ministry) then asked the Court of Appeal to overturn that decision and rule that any challenge to the ban should be heard by a specialist tribunal.
Judge Sue Carr rejected the Home Office’s appeal, saying challenging the proscription in the High Court was quicker, particularly where people have been charged and are facing trial for expressing support for Palestine Action.
The court also ruled that Ammori could challenge the ban in the High Court on additional grounds, which Ammori said was a significant victory.
“It’s time for the government to listen to the overwhelming and mounting backlash … and lift this widely condemned, utterly Orwellian ban,” she said in a statement.
The Home Office did not immediately comment.
Direct Action Group Banned In July
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the government in July, making it a crime to be a member, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
More than 2,000 people have since been arrested for holding signs in support of the group, with over 100 charged.
Before the ban, Palestine Action had increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain, often spraying red paint, blocking entrances or damaging equipment.
It accused Britain’s government of complicity in what it said were Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly denied committing war crimes in its two-year military campaign, which began after Palestinian Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel and Hamas agreed a ceasefire last week.
Palestine Action particularly focused on Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, and Britain’s government cited a raid by activists at an Elbit site last year when it decided to outlaw the group.
The group was banned a month after some of its members broke into the RAF Brize Norton air base and damaged two planes, for which four members have been charged.
Critics of the ban – including United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and civil liberties groups – argue that damaging property does not amount to terrorism.
However, Britain’s former interior minister Yvette Cooper, who is now foreign minister, previously said violence and criminal damage have no place in legitimate protest.
(With inputs from Reuters)