Strike cover staff had two days’ training
National Crime Agency (NCA) staff in Calais had only two days of official training before covering for striking Border Force staff. Border Force guards have three weeks training before interacting with the public, and then they work alongside a mentor for up to a month to ensure they can work solo checking on crimes like carrying a false passport, drug smuggling, people trafficking and modern slavery. An informed source said NCA staff had two training days, a quick familiarisation visit on Tuesday and then protecting the borders on Wednesday. They had no training to issue an IS81 form that gives officers the authority to detain people while they carry out further inquiries. It has to be issued even if someone is detained for just two minutes for a minor check. They did not have the power to detain people suspected of criminal activity.
Police find weapons in vans
Nine men appeared in court by video link charged with possessing offensive weapons. Police believe they had prevented a ‘serious disorder’ after discovering a sword, machetes, and a hatchet in vans in Newtownabbey. The men, aged between 18 and 41, were travelling to a relative's funeral; police were concerned over what they were going to do. In addition to possessing offensive weapons, Brian James Bradley is also charged with driving while disqualified, without insurance, and possessing a Class B drug. The judge refused bail as details provided by police ‘paint a picture of an organised, premeditated operation involving extremely dangerous weapons’ and ‘clear inference that extreme violence was going to be visited on persons unknown’. The case has been adjourned until 27 February.
Ukraine: tanks could change war
A coalition of Western nations have confirmed they are willing to supply modern-made battle tanks to Ukraine. In modern warfare tanks are a key element for offensive operations to punch through enemy lines and retake territory. They provide mobile firepower, protection, shock and surprise. Concentrated in numbers, they can dislocate an enemy's defences. But they also need the support first of artillery to weaken those defences and then of infantry to hold retaken ground. History shows tanks alone don't win battles. As western nations give the go-ahead to send tanks to Ukraine, let us pray that Russia's response will not lead to even more deaths of innocent civilians.
Christians attacked for declaring truth
There are currently three European cases where Christians are under attack for speaking out biblical truth concerning gender and same-sex marriage issues. Pastor Akil Pano is accused of hate speech in Albania after defending the words ‘mother’ and ‘father’ and rejecting ‘parent 1’ and ‘parent 2’. In Malta, Matthew Grech has been accused of promoting ‘gay conversion therapy’, and in Ireland teacher Enoch Burke has been removed from his job after refusing to call a transitioning pupil by a new name and ‘gender neutral’ pronouns. Also, in Finland the case of Päivi Räsänen continues; after being acquitted for expressing her views based on the Bible about sexuality and marriage, she is again having to defend her views at the Court of Appeal.
