Terror suspect accused of killing MP is son of former top aide to Somali PM

Published

4 years ago

October 17, 2021

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The terror suspect arrested following the killing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess is the son of a former senior Somali government official, Sky News understands.

Ali Harbi Ali’s father, Harbi Ali Kullane, declined to comment when asked by Sky News about his son, a 25-year-old British national, in an exchange of written messages on Saturday other than to say that he was “traumatised”

A Sky News correspondent who knocked at an address in London where he is believed to be staying received no reply on Sunday morning.

Sir David Amess killing – live updates

However, two police officers then arrived at the property and were let inside.

The father was quoted in The Sunday Times as confirming that his son was in custody and saying: “I’m not OK. I’m traumatised… This is nothing to do with my work for the Somali government.”

Mr Kullane previously worked as director of communications at the office of the prime minister in Somalia.

But he is thought to have been living in the UK for the past three years.

He has an active profile on social media, with his Twitter feed showing a keen interest in the UK, including posts on Liverpool Football Club, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and Brexit.

The father also posted messages of sympathy in June 2016 following the murder of Labour MP, Jo Cox, writing: “#RIPJoCox devastated by the loss of a voice of the unrepresentative, my sympathies with her two children and family.”

He appeared to have good relations with the British embassy in Somalia.

A number of his tweets included photographs with British diplomats in Mogadishu.

Ali Harbi Ali was arrested on Friday at the scene of the attack at a Methodist church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, where Sir David, MP for Southend West, had been holding his weekly constituency surgery.

He was previously referred to the government’s Prevent scheme, which is a programme to stop radicalisation, a Whitehall source said.

However, he is not thought to have been on the radar of the security service, MI5.

He was initially arrested on suspicion on murder and has since been detained under terrorism legislation.

Scotland Yard said the suspect who has not been officially named, has been transferred from a police station in Essex to one in London for further questioning.

Detectives have been granted a warrant to further detain him until next Friday.

Investigators have said they are not seeking anyone else in connection with Sir David’s death, which has sparked a debate about MPs’ safety and if more should be done to protect them.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has told Sky News that MPs could be given police protection while they carry out constituency surgeries.

Speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sunday, the cabinet minister also did not did not rule out banning anonymity on social media in a bid to tackle “relentless” online abuse.

A statement of condolence signed by many Somali organisations and community leaders have said they were “shocked and saddened by the senseless violence perpetrated upon an innocent MP”.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were among those to express “shock and sadness” following Sir David’s death.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer attended the scene of the killing together on Saturday to pay their respects.

The father of five had been an MP for 38 years, and while he never held a ministerial role, he was known as a tireless constituency campaigner, including his long-standing bid to have Southend designated a city.

Sky News understands that Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party will not stand candidates to contest the Southend West by-election.

It follows the precedent set after the murder of Mrs Cox in 2016, when Labour’s Tracy Brabin was the only mainstream candidate.

Politics

A peace deal isn’t a sure thing, Zelenskyy’s UK visit needs more than a warm welcome

Published

1 hour ago

December 8, 2025

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A peace deal isn't a sure thing, Zelenskyy's UK visit needs more than a warm welcome

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is heading to Downing Street once again, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be keen to make this meeting more than just a photo op.

On Monday the prime minister will welcome not only the Ukrainian president, but also E3 allies France and Germany to discuss the state of the war in Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will join Sir Keir in showing solidarity and support for Ukraine and its leader, but it’s the update on the peace negotiations that will be the main focus of the meet up.

The four leaders are said to be set to not only discuss those talks between Ukraine, the US and Russia, but also to talk about next steps if a deal were to be reached and what that might look like.

Ahead of the discussions, Sir Keir spoke with the Dutch leader Dick Schoof where both leaders agreed Ukraine’s defence still needs international support, and that Ukraine’s security is vital to European security.

But while Russia’s war machine shows no signs of abating, a warm welcome and kind words won’t be enough to satisfy the embattled Ukrainian president at a time when Russian drone and missile attacks continue to bombard Kyiv.

What is the latest in negotiations?

Over the weekend, Mr Zelenskyy said he had discussed “next steps” with US President Donald Trump’s advisers and was “determined to keep working in good faith”.

“The American representatives know the basic Ukrainian positions,” Mr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. “The conversation was constructive, although not easy.”

But on Sunday evening, ahead of an event at the Kennedy Center, President Trump said he was “disappointed” with Mr Zelenskyy, as was asked about the next steps in Russia-Ukraine talks following negotiations.

He said: “We’ve been speaking to President Putin and we’ve been speaking to Ukrainian leaders, including Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy.

“And I have to say that I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal. That was as of a few hours ago.

“His people love it. But he hasn’t – Russia’s fine with it. Russia’s you know, Russia, I guess, would rather have the whole country when you think of it. But Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelenskyy’s fine with it. His people love it but he hasn’t read it.”

On Saturday, Keith Kellogg, Trump’s outgoing Ukraine envoy, had told the Reagan National Defence Forum that efforts to resolve the conflict were in “the last 10 metres”.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised new US security strategy over the weekend, adding that Russia hopes this would lead to “further constructive cooperation with Washington on the Ukrainian settlement”.

Politics

Coinbase mounts a cautious comeback in India, two years after exit

Published

2 hours ago

December 8, 2025

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Coinbase mounts a cautious comeback in India, two years after exit

Major US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is returning to India after a two-year absence from the market.

Coinbase has resumed app registrations in India as it prepares to roll out local fiat on-ramps in 2026, Coinbase APAC director John O’Loghlen announced at India Blockchain Week (IBW), according to a Sunday report by TechCrunch.

Coinbase’s return to India comes more than two years after it ceased local services in September 2023, following a troubled debut of its local exchange launched in 2022.

“We had millions of customers in India, historically, and we took a very clear stance to off-board those customers entirely from overseas entities, where they were domiciled and regulated. Because we wanted to kind of burn the boats, have a clean slate here,” O’Loghlen said.

Crypto-to-crypto trades available immediately

As Coinbase resumes customer onboarding in India, users can immediately execute crypto-to-crypto trades, according to the report by TechCrunch.

The exchange initially began onboarding users through an early-access program in October, around the time it hired Karan Malik as its India marketing lead.

Coinbase, India, Cryptocurrency Exchange, Policy — *Source: Coinbase India marketing lead Karan Malik*

Malik had previously overseen marketing for last year’s IBW event, where Coinbase served as a platinum sponsor this year.

“Last year, I was leading the charge and building the marketing and brand playbook for IBW. This year, I’m bringing Coinbase to the party,” the exec said.

Coinbase ramps up push in India

Coinbase has been actively working to rebuild its relationship with the Indian government. In early December, Coinbase’s international policy adviser Katie Mitch represented the exchange before India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.

“We are optimistic on the potential for forward-looking VDA regulation in India,” she said in an X post last Thursday.

In another development last week, Priyank Kharge, IT minister for Karnataka, signed a memorandum of understanding with Coinbase India to deepen the state’s leadership in blockchain innovation and cybersecurity.

*Source: Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge*

Through the collaboration, the Karnataka government will collaborate with the exchange on startup incubation on Coinbase-backed Base protocol and speed up real-world applications of blockchain technology, the minister said.

As previously mentioned, Coinbase secured a license with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit in March 2025, positioning the exchange for a potential launch in the country. In August, Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal also met with Karnataka’s IT minister Kharge to explore collaboration on developer tools, cybersecurity and blockchain in governance.

Cointelegraph approached Coinbase for comment regarding its relaunch in India, but had not received a response by the time of publication.