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London Man Admits to Wave of Sexual Assaults Over 3 Years

Xu Chao, 33, could face a “lengthy” prison sentence, the judge said. Most of his victims have not been identified.

© Metropolitan Police

Xu Chao admitted to dozens of sexual offenses against at least 12 women.
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U.K. Court Overturns Ruling on Hotel at Center of Asylum Seeker Debate

The decision was a temporary reprieve for the government but will intensify a political battle over how Britain should house tens of thousands of asylum seekers.

© Henry Nicholls/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, southeastern England, this month. The hotel became the center of protests after an asylum seeker who was being housed there was charged with sexual assault.
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A ‘Dexter’ Obsessed Man Highlights a Gap in British Law

Inspired by the TV serial killer, Jacob Power wrote out detailed murder plans and dug graves. Still, prosecutors could not charge him with attempted murder.

© Thames Valley Police

A screen grab from security camera footage released by the Thames Valley Police showed Jacob Power inside The White Hart Inn in Hamstead Marshall, England, in November.
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What to Know About the Protests Outside U.K. Hotels Housing Asylum Seekers

A judge ruled that asylum seekers must be moved out of a hotel in England in a case that highlighted an increasingly contentious issue in Britain.

© Justin Tallis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A protest this month outside a London hotel housing asylum seekers. The British government has a legal obligation to provide accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be homeless.
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U.K. Secretly Spent $3.2 Million to Stop Journalists From Reporting on Data Breach

After British authorities accidentally exposed information about 19,000 Afghans, the government sought a legal order preventing disclosure of the breach.

© Wakil Kohsar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

British and Canadian soldiers guarding the Kabul airport after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 as Afghans hoping to flee the country stood by.
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Firefighters Tackle Blaze at Arthur’s Seat, an Edinburgh Landmark

Firefighters worked overnight to tackle the blaze on the hill overlooking the Scottish capital. There were no reports of injuries.

© Jane Barlow/Press Association, via Associated Press

Flames at Arthur’s Seat, overlooking Edinburgh, on Sunday. The Scottish fire service said that crews were still working “to dampen down hot spots” on Monday.
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How a Pro-Palestinian Group Got Banned in Britain

Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian group known for its direct action, was banned as a terrorism group under British law. The decision followed a break-in by the group at Britain’s largest air base, causing a political scandal. Lizzie Dearden, a security reporter, explains how this has large stakes for the legacy of direct action in protest movements in Britain.
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How a Pro-Palestinian Group Fell Foul of a Long Unused U.K. Terrorism Law

The protest group Palestine Action does not promote violence against people. But after it damaged military property, the British government banned it as a terrorist organization.

© Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

A demonstration in London in July. The British government has put Palestine Action, a protest group, on the same legal footing as groups like Al Qaeda in response to actions related to property damage.
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