The father of Shamima Begum, a British-born teenager who travelled to Syria to join Islamic State, has urged the government not to revoke her UK citizenship.

“My child was only 15 years old when she fled [to Syria], she was immature,” Ahmed Ali said in an interview with the Associated Press. “I would ask the British government not to cancel her citizenship, to return her citizenship, and if she is guilty, bring her back to Britain and give her punishment there.”

Begum, now 19, said last month she wanted to return home for the health of her then unborn child. But the home secretary, Sajid Javid, ordered her citizenship to be revoked. Begum, who gave birth days after telling a journalist of her desire to return, has since said she wished she had kept a low profile. She and her son are said to have been moved to another camp nearer the Iraqi border.(theguardian)…[+]

Spain’s far-right Vox party has suspended one of its senior regional members and apparently set about deleting references to him on social media after he was arrested on suspicion of sexual offences. Officers from the Catalan police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, arrested José Antonio Ortiz Cambray, 53, on Tuesday afternoon in the city of Lleida after receiving information that prompted them to open an investigation.

“A man of Spanish nationality was arrested yesterday afternoon in Lleida in connection with that investigation,” a Mossos spokesman said. “The allegations are of crimes against sexual freedom. We cannot go into more details or say whether the victims were adults or minors.” Vox confirmed that Ortiz had been arrested, but disputed reports that he was its local leader.(theguardian)…[+]

Incarcerated dancehall star Vybz Kartel has returned to prison following a visit to the hospital today to receive treatment for a health condition. This after news broke earlier today that the ‘World Boss’ had been rushed to the University Hospital of the West Indies for treatment.

Kartel, however, despite earlier reports, has not been hospitalised and his condition is not considered life-threatening.  “He has a condition and he wasn’t feeling well. He was not admitted. It’s not serious,” Valerie Neita-Robertson, attorney of the dancehall phenom told The Gleaner, adding that he will be escorted back to prison later this afternoon. When contacted earlier today, Neita-Robertson had advised that fellow co-counsel, Tom Tavares-Finson, had been en route to the medical facility to oversee their client.  Following his widely publicised hospitalisation in 2017, it was revealed that the entertainer lives with a thyroid condition. (Jamaica Gleaner)…[+]