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UK Student Jailed for Importing Explosive to Kill his Father

A man in handcuffs. Reuters file photo
A man in handcuffs. Reuters file photo
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UK Student Jailed for Importing Explosive to Kill his Father

A man in handcuffs. Reuters file photo
A man in handcuffs. Reuters file photo

A 19-year old student has been given an eight-year custodial sentence for trying to buy explosives on a web in an attempt to kill his father.

Gurtej Singh Randhawa was arrested by the National Crime Agency's armed operations unit in May 2017 after taking delivery of a package he thought was containing explosives.

lOfficers from the NCA had replaced the package with a fake device before arresting.

The police told the court that Mr. Randhawa ordered the device after his mother discovered he was having a relationship with a girl she disapproved of. The jailed teenager had accepted an offer to study medicine at Liverpool University.

Randhawa who lived in Wolverhampton, was arrested after testing the device and pleaded guilty to attempting to import explosives.

Passing sentence, the judge told Randhawa: "You are plainly highly intelligent and capable of determined manipulation. You told sustained lies to your girlfriend and her family about your own parents, particularly your father. I have no doubt that this offence was motivated by your desire to live with your girlfriend and attend university together.”

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Greece, Türkiye to Keep Talking on Maritime Boundaries Agenda, Ministers Say

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis give statements to the press at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens, Greece, November 8, 2024. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis give statements to the press at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens, Greece, November 8, 2024. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
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Greece, Türkiye to Keep Talking on Maritime Boundaries Agenda, Ministers Say

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis give statements to the press at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens, Greece, November 8, 2024. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis give statements to the press at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens, Greece, November 8, 2024. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki

Greece and Türkiye still disagree on the extent of issues needing to be tackled over the designation of their maritime boundaries but talks will continue, the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers said after meeting on Friday.

Neighbours Greece and Türkiye, NATO allies but historic foes, have long been at odds over issues including where their continental shelves start and end, energy resources, migration, flights over the Aegean Sea, and the ethnically partitioned island of Cyprus.

After years of tensions the two countries agreed in December last year on a roadmap to reboot relations.

Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who met in Athens on Friday, have been exploring whether the two nations can start talks aimed at demarcating their maritime boundaries.

The two ministers attempted an initial approach on a "tough and crucial issue" but their positions still differ and the issue would be discussed again at a future meeting, Gerapetritis said in a joint press conference with Fidan, Reuters reported.

Greece says that the two countries only need to discuss the issue of designating an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf boundaries. Türkiye recognises a positive momentum in relations but says that more issues need to be put on the table.

"There are many issues linked to each other in the Aegean that we need to work on and seek solutions for. We cannot group them all as solely maritime delimitation or exclusive economic zones," Fidan said.

Athens and Ankara say they want to keep channels of communication open, boost trade volumes and work on issues which have kept them apart, notably in the Aegean Sea. They also plan tighter cooperation on security and migration.

Greece and Turkish officials will hold another round of talks in Athens on Dec. 2-3, Gerapetritis said, as the two countries prepare for a high-level cooperation council in Türkiye early next year.

Both ministers said they hoped Ankara and Athens could resolve their issues through dialogue, before wrapping up the press conference with a rare hug on stage.