Free Republic

British anti-terrorism police said Monday they arrested 12 men in early morning raids on three cities to protect the public amid fears of a holiday season terrorism plot. Assistant Commissioner John Yates, the U.K. 's lead police officer for counterterrorism, said the suspects were detained in London, in the central English city of Stoke-on-Trent and in Cardiff, Wales. The arrests follow several weeks of surveillance and are not believed to be linked to other recent plots against Europe or the recent bombing in Sweden.

A man is being questioned by police after trying to force his way into the cockpit of a plane flying from Cardiff to the Canary Islands. He was overpowered and restrained by passengers and flight attendants on the 0810 GMT Thomson Airways service. He was arrested by police when the aircraft landed safely at Las Palmas airport in Gran Canaria. Thomson Airways said the man "demonstrated aggressive behaviour towards customers and crew". The company said: "Thomson Airways can confirm that a passenger became disruptive during flight TOM 6102, flying from Cardiff to Las Palmas airport, Gran Canaria, on 25 January,...

A man was jailed today for shining a laser at a passenger plane preparing to land. Hossein Hosseiny briefly illuminated the cockpit of the Dublin to Cardiff aircraft which was carrying 52 people on board on the evening of March 8. The pilot said the actions of the 21-year-old father-to-be from the Countisbury Avenue area of Llanrumney, Cardiff, caused a "momentary loss of concentration" during his approach to the runway due to a "dazzling green light". The incident was reported immediately by the pilot to air traffic control and Hosseiny, a failed asylum seeker from Afghanistan, was arrested soon after...

Modified Media Mea Culpa by: Malcolm A. Kline, July 09, 2008 A veteran journalist has found his profession wanting in fulfilling its basic mission—in Great Britain. Oddly, his book, Flat Earth News, is unavailable in the United States, although many American media critics might find that his findings hold true on this side of the Atlantic as well. Nick Davies asked researchers at Cardiff University to analyze coverage at The London Times, the Guardian, the Independent and the Daily Mail. “They found that a massive 60 percent of these quality-print stories consisted wholly or mainly of wire copy and/or PR...

Minister calls for children to be locked in school to stop them buying junk food Last updated at 16:47pm on 06.07.08   Children's Minister Kevin Brennan has called for secondary school children to be locked inside school grounds during breaks to stop them buying unhealthy food Children should be locked inside school grounds to stop them buying unhealthy food from shops and takeaways, a minister said yesterday.The drastic proposal comes amid new evidence that the Jamie Oliver-inspired drive to ensure school canteens offer more nutritious meals is being shunned by pupils.Children's Minister Kevin Brennan said secondary school children should...

The Joneses set a record in Wales (where else?) By Richard Savill Last Updated: 1:10am GMT 04/11/2006 It was the ultimate in keeping up with the Joneses - 1,224 of them arrived in Cardiff last night to claim a record for the largest gathering of people with one surname. They came from as far as Australia and America to beat the record held in Sweden by 583 people called Noberg. "My mother always said that if you were called Jones you would never be alone in this world," said Simon Jones, 43, who flew with his wife Becky from Kentucky...

GOTTA SEE THIS - War for Enduring Freedom 12/19/02 - Amsterdam, Kabul, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Seibersdorf, Taji, Al Nassr, HMS Cardiff, Bethlehem, Denpasar, Gaza, Ramallah, Rotterdam, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum BREAKING: Amsterdam, terror against the IKEA home goods chain BREAKING: Kabul, Amir Mohammed and Gulam Saki BREAKING: Lackawanna arrests BREAKING: Lebanon - On $addam's "amnesty" Iraqi citizens head home BREAKING: Seibersdorf, Austria, laboratories of the International Atomic Energy Agency BREAKING: Taji, Al Nassr mechanical factories - Inspection BREAKING: Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Cardiff 10th Mountain Division train at Fort Drum, Bethlehem, Denpasar, Gaza, Ramallah, Rotterdam ========= Taji ========= In Taji,...