Martin Bentham

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Martin Bentham is Home Affairs Editor at the Evening Standard and is based in London

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Martin Bentham is Home Affairs Editor at the Evening Standard and is based in London

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 Peter Virdee

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Crime

Former Tory and Labour donor charged with bribing foreign politician

Peter Virdee, 50, allegedly bribed Asot Michael from January 2015 to July 2017 when he was the minister for tourism in Antigua and Barbuda

23 May 2024
<p>Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (left) visiting the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) navy base in Bandar Abbas</p>
Politics

'No benefit' to outlawing Iran's IRGC as terrorist organisation

Proscription of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was under review by the Government following the drone and missile barrage fired at Israel by Iran

15 Apr 2024
<p>People gather around the car of the US-based aid group World Central Kitchen that was hit by an Israeli strike</p>
Politics

Israel accused of being willing to 'sacrifice' seven Gaza aid workers

More than 600 lawyers have joined calls for the UK to suspend arms exports following the death of three British aid workers in an airstrike in Gaza

4 Apr 2024
<p> Killed: top row from left, British security workers James Henderson, 33, James Kirby, 47, and John Chapman, 57. Far right,American-Canadian Jacob Flickinger, 33. bottom row from far left, Polish aid worker Damian Soból, 35, Australian colleague Lalzawmi Frankcom, 43, and Palestinian drive Saifeddin Issam, Ayad Abutaha, 25</p>
World

'Unforgivable': Israel faces growing outcry over deaths of aid workers

IDF chief admits strike was ‘grave mistake’ and promises full investigation

3 Apr 2024
<p>Abdul Ezedi getting baptised in a church</p>
Politics

Calls for probe into Christian conversions by asylum seekers

Labour has challenged Home Secretary James Cleverly to explain why the Home Office did not remove Abdul Ezedi in 2018

27 Mar 2024
<p>Mayor Sadiq Khan and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley</p>
London

What has Sadiq Khan done to tackle crime in our city?

With under six weeks to go until the mayoral election on May 2, the Standard launches a series of audits into Sadiq Khan’s record. Here, Home Affairs Editor Martin Bentham examines crime

26 Mar 2024
<p>HMP Wormwood Scrubs was part of a 2018 project aimed at ‘reducing violence’</p>
London

Drugs and violence 'plentiful' at Wormwood Scrubs amid staff shortages

There has been an average of 29 violent incidents per month as debt and gang tensions ‘boil over’

19 Mar 2024
<p>Javad Marandi and Narmina Marandi pictured in Mayfair in September 2019</p>
London

Tory donor's cash links to properties in court money laundering probe

Javad Marandi, who owns The Conran Shop, is shown as making payments to Azeri MP Javanshir Feyziyev that were later used in the acquisition of 13 homes in London

19 Mar 2024
<p>Offenders who supply drugs to children will face harsher punishment </p>
UK

Dealers caught selling drugs to children face longer jail terms

Change comes amid continuing concern about the impact of illegal substances on people’s health and grooming of children into drug use

18 Mar 2024
<p>Michael Gove has unveiled a new definition of extremism</p>
UK

Jewish people 'will suffer most over extremism curbs'

Warning issued as row breaks out over Michael Gove’s attempt to tackle groups fanning hatred

14 Mar 2024
<p>Millionaire Javanshir Feyziyev </p>
UK

'Compelling evidence Azeri tycoon's £50m empire built on crime'

Mr Justice Poole said there is a ‘solid’ case against Javanshir Feyziyev but he denies any wrongdoing

13 Mar 2024
<p>The number of domestic abuse victims taking their own lives has become even higher than the number being killed by their partners</p>
UK

Suicide now the biggest cause of domestic violence deaths

Police urged to do more to stop perpetrators of abuse - as figures show four out of five abusers in fatal cases are already known to police

13 Mar 2024
<p>Feltham Prison and Young Offender Institution</p>
Crime

Gang violence at prison 'leaves inmates too scared to go to class'

The Independent Monitoring Board report reveals that one child was responsible for assaulting 38 staff members in seven months

12 Mar 2024
<p>Joshua Jacques, A cannabis addict who killed three generations of his girlfriend’s family when years of smoking pot turned him into a homicial maniac is facing life in jail.</p>
Crime

Missed chances to halt the four killings in London ‘house of horror’

Joshua Jacques was on probation when he killed Samantha Drummonds, her mother, grandmother and her grandmother’s partner

7 Mar 2024
<p>The Campaign Against Antisemitism said some Jewish residents had already left because of fears for their safety.</p>
London

Jewish Londoners ‘make plans to flee capital’ amid antisemitism wave

Campaign Against Antisemitism warns numbers of Jewish residents considering leaving the capital was increasing daily in response to hostility

5 Mar 2024
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Crime

Rowley apology to Everard's family as he vows to speed up Met overhaul

Commissioner says last week’s damning report into the killing of marketing executive by Met officer Wayne Couzens had exposed ‘long term flaws” in vetting, as well as other failings

5 Mar 2024
<p>Azeri MP and businessman Javanshir Feyziyev</p>
Crime

Tycoon 'acquired £50m London property empire via money laundering'

The operation involved payments for ‘nutritious baby food’ and other fake invoices, the High Court heard

3 Mar 2024
<p>Sarah Everard was murdered by serving police officer Wayne Couzens on March 3, 2021 </p>
Crime

Police ignored series of 'red flags' about Sarah Everard's killer

Eight indecent exposures before Wayne Couzens killed Sarah...but police did nothing

29 Feb 2024