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Protesters who climb over war memorials or try to hide their identity could face jail under a new crackdown on “disruptive disorder”.

Police in England and Wales will be given powers to arrest protesters who cover their face in a bid to avoid prosecution, while people who scale national monuments could face a three-month prison sentence and a ÂŁ1,000 fine, as part of the proposals.

The measures – which will be added to the Criminal Justice Bill currently being considered by parliament – will also make it illegal to carry flares and other pyrotechnics during demonstrations.

The Home Office said the right to protest is “no longer an excuse for certain public order offences” as it announced the plans.

But critics called it an attack on the “fundamental” right to protest and “authoritarian”.

Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, said: “This is another worrying step towards an authoritarian state, which too many in the government seem intent on creating.

“This government is reaching the stage where it views any disagreement with its plans as practically an offence in itself.”

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The move comes as police chiefs warned some protesters were “using face coverings to conceal their identities, not only to intimidate the law-abiding majority, but also avoid criminal convictions”.

Officers already have the power to ask people to remove face coverings at designated protests – where forces believe crimes are likely to occur.

But the new offence will allow police to arrest protesters who disregard their orders, with those who flout the rules facing a month behind bars and a ÂŁ1,000 fine.

Just Stop Oil protesters are no stranger to violence and frustration from the general public. Their disruptive methods have resulted in situations taking a turn for the worst. Sky News witnesses the training given to recruits to prepare them for adversity.
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The government has been clamping down on disruptive protest tactics

Under the reforms, possession of flares, fireworks and any other pyrotechnics at public processions and assemblies for protest will be made illegal, with perpetrators also facing a ÂŁ1,000 fine.

The Home Office said these had recently posed “significant risk of injury” and had been fired at police officers.

Protesters will also no longer be able to cite the right to protest as a reasonable excuse to get away with “disruptive” offences, such as blocking roads, the department added.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “Recent protests have seen a small minority dedicated to causing damage and intimidating the law-abiding majority.

Read More:
How have protest laws changed?

“The right to protest is paramount in our country, but taking flares to marches to cause damage and disruption is not protest, it is dangerous.

“That is why we are giving police the powers to prevent any of this criminality on our streets.”

The plans were welcomed by Essex Police chief constable BJ Harrington, who leads the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s work on public order.

‘Police not anti-protest’

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Climate protests: ‘How many more people have to die?’

He said the measures will make sure officers “have the powers that we need to get balance right between the rights of those who wish to protest, and those impacted by them”.

He added that while the use of flares and pyrotechnics at protests is “rare”, they are still “extremely dangerous”.

And he stressed that the new powers would only be used “when appropriate, proportionate, and necessary to achieve policing objectives”, insisting police were not “anti-protest.”

“There is a difference between protest and criminal activism, and we are committed to responding quickly and effectively to activists who deliberately disrupt people’s lives with reckless and criminal acts,” he said.

However Akiko Hart, director of human rights group Liberty, said: “These new proposed anti-protest measures are a massive overreach by the government and a threat to everybody’s right to protest.

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“This is an outrageous attempt to clamp down on our fundamental right to stand up for what we believe in.”

Liberty is embroiled in a legal battle with the government over previously introduced “anti-protest powers”, with a High Court trial due to take place later this month, the group said.

Last May, new offences were created under the Public Order Act to tackle disruptive tactics typically used by protest groups like Extinction Rebellion – such as “locking on”, tunnelling and obstructing major transport works.

Meanwhile the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act passed in 2022 made it illegal to “create a risk of or cause serious harm to the public” or “obstruct the public”.

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Rayner ‘hoping’ for winter fuel update within weeks – and says she ‘never’ wants to be Labour leader

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Rayner 'hoping' for winter fuel update within weeks - and says she 'never' wants to be Labour leader

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has told Sky News she “hopes” there will be an update on the winter fuel U-turn within weeks.

Ms Rayner also used her interview on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips to say she “never” wants to lead her party.

Some had suggested recent leaks of her plans for when taxes should change were her testing the waters to run a challenge against Sir Keir Starmer.

Politics latest: Badenoch on two-child cap

Earlier this week, the prime minister confirmed his party was looking to make changes to its controversial slashing of winter fuel payments to pensioners at an upcoming “fiscal event”.

Little clarity was provided on when this would be – the budget in the autumn thought the most likely.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner during a visit to Rossington Miners' Welfare in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, whilst campaigning for this week's local elections. Picture date: Wednesday April 30, 2025.
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Angela Rayner says she wants the changes announced soon. Pic: PA

Ms Rayner has now suggested the 11 June spending review in just over a fortnight is her preferred date.

She told Sky News: “I think that we’ve got the upcoming spending review, and I’m sure that the chancellor will set it out when we’ve got the opportunity – at the first opportunity Trevor she will set out what we’ll be able to do.”

Asked if changes might be announced at the review, Ms Rayner said: “I hope so, but I don’t know. But I hope so.

“I mean, the prime minister’s announced it, so logically to me that indicates that the prime minister wants to do something in this area.

“And if the prime minister wants to do that, I’m sure the chancellor is going to look at how we can achieve that.”

Read more:
Starmer confirms U-turn on winter fuel
Decision needs ‘strong enough’ economy
Analysis: It could have profound consequences

Never wants to be leader

Some might suggest Ms Rayner’s stance was a bid to push Downing Street into an announcement faster than it previously wanted.

It would add to rumours the deputy prime minister is unhappy with the way Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves are running the government.

However, when asked by Trevor Phillips if she wanted to lead her party, Ms Rayner was unequivocal.

“No. I’m very happy and honoured to be deputy prime minister of this country,” she said.

“And I’ve got a lot in my in-tray to prove that I can do the job that I’m doing and deliver on the milestones for the people in this country.”

She continued: “I have no desire to go for the leadership of the Labour Party.”

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Asked to say the word “never”, Ms Rayner repeated “never”.

Ms Rayner also confirmed a leak inquiry was under way after her proposals on tax and spend sent to the chancellor ended up published in The Daily Telegraph.

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Two-child benefit cap: Pressure grows on Starmer as Reform’s policy move parks tanks on Labour’s lawn

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Two-child benefit cap: Pressure grows on Starmer as Reform's policy move parks tanks on Labour's lawn

No U-turn comes without a political cost.

This weekend, it has become clear there is a price to pay for Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to row back on winter fuel payment cuts.

One MP said in a text message: “We all want to see more”, while former prime minister Gordon Brown told Sky News this week the two-child benefit cap was “pretty discriminatory” and could be scrapped.

Nigel Farage
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Nigel Farage is expected to call for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped

The cap, which prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children, is a symbolic sore for Labour that saw seven MPs suspended from the party last year.

Now it’s back to cause more trouble.

A Downing Street source suggests little has changed in the last week, and looking at the cap has always been part of the (now delayed) Child Poverty Strategy.

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‘You’ve got to be fair to pensioners’

But, beyond the whispers behind the scenes, one thing has overtly changed this weekend – growing pressure from Nigel Farage.

We expect Reform UK to announce this week that it will reinstate winter fuel payments and drop the cap.

Mr Farage is parking his tanks on Labour’s lawn, trying to tap into working-class votes on uncomfortable territory for Mr Starmer.

How would they pay for it? A combination of closing asylum hotels, cutting aid, and scrapping net-zero targets, the party says.

Kemi Badenoch on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.
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Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch

Headline-grabbing move

The beauty of not being in power is not having to make all the sums add up right now, and it is a headline-grabbing announcement that will, at the very least, reignite the conversation about the two-child cap.

It’s also a reminder that Reform UK, who were beaten by Labour in 89 out of the 98 constituencies they came second in last year, have set their sights beyond the Conservatives.

As for the Tories, who introduced the measure in 2017, leader Kemi Badenoch is clear, saying: “If you can’t afford to have lots of children, then you shouldn’t do so”.

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Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is hoping for an update on the winter fuel allowance

Blue water between Tories and Reform UK

So, there is blue water between the Conservatives and Reform, but it’s the prime minister and his party that Nigel Farage is targeting now, and Labour is unclear on where it stands.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that “lifting any measures that alleviate poverty is not a bad idea”.

More from Sky News:
PM’s winter fuel claim ‘not credible’
Starmer-Reeves Downing St ‘rift’

With the spending review fast approaching, Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves will be working out the actual cost, beyond the political one, of rowing back on winter fuel payment cuts.

But will the anger that the policy ignited among some Labour MPs end there? Or will it move to another uncomfortable subject?

As one MP puts it: “If there’s money for pensioners, why not children?”

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Pakistan allocates 2,000MW power for Bitcoin mining and AI centers

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Pakistan allocates 2,000MW power for Bitcoin mining and AI centers

Pakistan allocates 2,000MW power for Bitcoin mining and AI centers

Pakistan has allocated 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity exclusively for Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence centers.

The move is part of a broader digital transformation plan spearheaded by the Pakistan Crypto Council and backed by the Ministry of Finance, according to a May 25 report by local news outlet 24NewsHD TV Channel.

In the first phase, the government plans to channel excess power into AI infrastructure and crypto mining operations. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the decision is expected to attract billions in foreign investment while generating high-tech employment across the country.

The initiative’s second phase will introduce access to renewable energy for mining operations, aiming to balance growth with environmental responsibility.

Related: Trump-backed World Liberty Financial partners with Pakistan Crypto Council

Pakistan unveils tax incentives to attract investors

Per the report, interest from international Bitcoin (BTC) miners and AI firms has already picked up. Officials confirmed that multiple foreign delegations have visited Pakistan in recent months to explore potential partnerships.

To further incentivize investment, the Ministry of Finance announced a package of tax incentives for AI centers and duty exemptions for Bitcoin miners.

Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of Pakistan’s Crypto Council, reportedly welcomed the development, calling it a “turning point” for the country’s digital economy.

Saqib claimed that with clear regulations and a transparent framework, Pakistan could emerge as a significant player in the global crypto and AI sectors.

Saqib first proposed using the country’s runoff energy to fuel Bitcoin mining at the Crypto Council’s inaugural meeting on March 21.

The meeting included lawmakers, the Bank of Pakistan’s governor, the chairman of Pakistan’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SECP), and the federal information technology secretary.

Related: Pakistan proposes compliance-based crypto regulatory framework — Report

Pakistan creates Digital Asset Authority

On May 21, Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance endorsed the creation of a dedicated body to regulate blockchain-based financial infrastructure in the country.

The Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA) will serve as a regulatory body to oversee licensing and regulating exchanges, custodians, wallets, tokenized platforms, stablecoins, and decentralized finance applications.

The PDAA will also be tasked with tokenizing national assets and government debt, facilitating monetization of Pakistan’s surplus electricity through regulated Bitcoin mining, and helping startups build blockchain-based solutions at scale.

Pakistan ranked highly in Chainalysis’ 2024 crypto adoption index, coming in ninth, mainly due to strong retail adoption and transactions at centralized services.

Pakistan allocates 2,000MW power for Bitcoin mining and AI centers
Pakistan ranked highly in Chainalysis’ 2024 crypto adoption index, coming in 9th. Source: Chainalysis

Data from Statista also shows Pakistan’s crypto market is “experiencing rapid growth,” estimating the number of crypto users to amount to over 27 million by 2025, out of a population of 247 million.

Magazine: Bitcoin bears eye $69K, CZ denies WLF ‘fixer’ rumors: Hodler’s Digest, May 18 – 24

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