• Members of the Kurdish community march during a protest in London, United Kingdom. Getty Images
    Members of the Kurdish community march during a protest in London, United Kingdom. Getty Images
  • Earlier this week, counter-terrorism police arrested seven people from a search of eight addresses, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey, North London, as part of an investigation into the Kurdistan Workers Party. Getty Images
    Earlier this week, counter-terrorism police arrested seven people from a search of eight addresses, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey, North London, as part of an investigation into the Kurdistan Workers Party. Getty Images
  • Police line the street as members of the Kurdish community protest near Trafalgar Square in London. Getty Images
    Police line the street as members of the Kurdish community protest near Trafalgar Square in London. Getty Images
  • LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 1: Members of the Kurdish community march during a protest on December 1, 2024 in London, United Kingdom. Earlier this week, counter-terrorism police arrested seven people from a search of eight addresses, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey, North London, as part of an investigation into the Kurdistan Workers Party. Known as the PKK, the group is a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK and has been banned since March 2001. (Photo by Alishia Abodunde / Getty Images)
    LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 1: Members of the Kurdish community march during a protest on December 1, 2024 in London, United Kingdom. Earlier this week, counter-terrorism police arrested seven people from a search of eight addresses, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey, North London, as part of an investigation into the Kurdistan Workers Party. Known as the PKK, the group is a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK and has been banned since March 2001. (Photo by Alishia Abodunde / Getty Images)
  • One placard reads 'Stop the attacks on Kurds'. The Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK and has been banned since March 2001. Getty Images
    One placard reads 'Stop the attacks on Kurds'. The Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK and has been banned since March 2001. Getty Images
  • Police line the street as members of the Kurdish community protest near Trafalgar Square in London. Getty Images
    Police line the street as members of the Kurdish community protest near Trafalgar Square in London. Getty Images
  • Members of the Kurdish community protest at Trafalgar Square in London. Earlier this week, counter-terrorism police arrested seven people from a search of eight addresses, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey. Getty Images
    Members of the Kurdish community protest at Trafalgar Square in London. Earlier this week, counter-terrorism police arrested seven people from a search of eight addresses, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey. Getty Images
  • People take part in a Kurdish community march in response to the arrest of seven people said to be associated with the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK, in London, Sunday, Dec, 1, 2024. (James Manning / PA via AP)
    People take part in a Kurdish community march in response to the arrest of seven people said to be associated with the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK, in London, Sunday, Dec, 1, 2024. (James Manning / PA via AP)
  • Members of the Kurdish community hold placards as they protest near Trafalgar Square in London. Getty Images
    Members of the Kurdish community hold placards as they protest near Trafalgar Square in London. Getty Images

Hundreds protest in London against the arrest of seven alleged PKK members


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

Several hundred people gathered in central London on Sunday to protest against the arrest of seven alleged members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party.

The group, known as the PKK, is outlawed by the UK government.

Many of the protesters held placards with “stop the attacks on Kurds” and “hands off our community centre” written on them.

Members of the Kurdish community protest near Trafalgar Square, London. Getty Images
Members of the Kurdish community protest near Trafalgar Square, London. Getty Images

The protesters – many wearing face coverings – blew whistles, chanted and played music as they made their way through the streets.

“To British people and Metropolitan Police, hands off Kurds,” one man said.

Their march followed a route from Trafalgar Square to Whitehall. The Metropolitan Police had warned those attending that expressing support for the proscribed group is a criminal offence.

At one point, officers moved in and circled a male protester, but appeared to merely take his details rather than arrest him.

People take part in a Kurdish community march in response to the arrest of seven people said to be associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party. PA
People take part in a Kurdish community march in response to the arrest of seven people said to be associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party. PA

The PKK wants an independent Kurdish state in south-east Turkey and has been banned in the UK since 2001.

Last week, seven people were arrested in London on suspicion of terrorism offences linked to the group.

Searches took place at the Kurdish community centre in Haringey, north London, among other locations. A protest took place on Thursday evening near Green Lanes and Stanhope Gardens, close to the community centre.

Officers surround a lorry containing barriers to block access to a road leading to a Kurdish community centre that was raided by counter-terror police in the London borough of Haringey. Getty Images
Officers surround a lorry containing barriers to block access to a road leading to a Kurdish community centre that was raided by counter-terror police in the London borough of Haringey. Getty Images

The Met said a man was arrested on suspicion of expressing support for a proscribed terrorist organisation related to chanting during the protest.

London is busier than usual this weekend as protests clash with Black Friday shopping and Winter Wonderland festivities.

“We understand the strength of feeling from the Kurdish community and want to take this opportunity to remind anyone taking part in the march that the PKK is proscribed by the UK government and expressing support for them is a criminal offence,” chief superintendent Joe McDonald, who is leading the policing operation, said.

If you go

The flights

Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes. 

The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

The tour

The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours. 

The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.

 

THE APPRENTICE

Director: Ali Abbasi

Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 3/5

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Results for Stage 2

Stage 2 Yas Island to Abu Dhabi, 184 km, Road race

Overall leader: Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)

Stage winners: 1. Fernando Gaviria COL (UAE Team Emirates) 2. Elia Viviani ITA (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) 3. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal)

Company profile

Name: Tharb

Started: December 2016

Founder: Eisa Alsubousi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: Luxury leather goods

Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings

 

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Dolittle

Director: Stephen Gaghan

Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen

One-and-a-half out of five stars

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Best Foreign Language Film nominees

Capernaum (Lebanon)

Cold War (Poland)

Never Look Away (Germany)

Roma (Mexico)

Shoplifters (Japan)

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

What is type-1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.

It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.

Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.

Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.

Company%20profile
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Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

THE DRAFT

The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.

Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan

Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe

Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi

Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath

Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh

Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh

Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar

Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel

Need to know

When: October 17 until November 10

Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration

Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center

What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.

For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com

MATCH INFO

Champions League last 16, first leg

Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed

Based: Muscat

Launch year: 2018

Number of employees: 40

Sector: Online food delivery

Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception 

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Updated: December 02, 2024, 2:11 PM