MID WALES peace activist Angie Zelter was arrested outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London after holding a placard in support of Palestine Action.

The 75-year-old campaigner, from Knucklas, Powys, was detained at around 12:20pm on the steps of the court, according to Radnor Palestine Links.

The group said Ms Zelter was arrested under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 after holding a sign which read: “Saving lives is not terrorism. I support Palestine Action.”

She was taken to Charing Cross Police Station and released around two hours later, the group said.

The arrest came as the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the UK Government over its decision to proscribe Palestine Action under terrorism legislation.

The ruling overturned an earlier High Court decision which had found the ban unlawful. The Court of Appeal held that the Government’s decision was lawful and proportionate.

Palestine Action was banned after the Home Secretary moved to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act 2000. Supporting or inviting support for a proscribed organisation can be a criminal offence.

Radnor Palestine Links said the protest formed part of an ongoing campaign against the use of counter-terrorism laws against peaceful demonstrators.

Ms Zelter, a long-standing peace and human rights campaigner, has been arrested more than 100 times worldwide during decades of non-violent direct action. She is also known as a founder of Trident Ploughshares.

Speaking after her arrest, Ms Zelter said: “I think it’s a terrible indictment of the criminal justice system that you are charging me with terrorism for holding a peaceful sign.

“We have to uphold the most important international laws. Peaceful, disruptive protest is absolutely essential to protect democracy.”

The Metropolitan Police has been asked to confirm the circumstances of the arrest, whether Ms Zelter was formally charged, and the conditions of her release.

Photo caption: Court protest: Angie Zelter outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London holding a sign in support of Palestine Action (Pic: Radnor Palestine Links).

PEMBROKESHIRE is among 20 areas in Wales set to benefit from a Youth Hub aimed at helping young people into work, training and education.

The UK Labour Government has confirmed that seven more Youth Hubs will open across Wales over the next two years, in addition to 13 areas already announced in the first year of the programme.

Pembrokeshire was included in the first round of areas allocated a hub, alongside Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Caerphilly, Newport, Wrexham and others.

The hubs are designed to bring together job centre services, careers advice, skills and training opportunities, mental health support, housing advice and links to local employers offering live jobs and apprenticeships.

The aim is to ensure that every young person in Wales is no more than one hour away from a Youth Hub by public transport.

Shav Taj MS, Welsh Labour spokesperson for Employment and Equalities, said local and tailored support was “invaluable” in helping young people take their first step onto the jobs ladder.

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said the hubs would help young people get “that vital first job” by providing support, training opportunities and connections to employers.

The UK Government says the Youth Hubs form part of a wider £2.5bn programme to tackle youth unemployment, with more than 360 local areas across Great Britain expected to be covered over the next three years.

Exact local sites will be decided by delivery partners working with local authorities.

Charity says children are still being exposed to disturbing abuse videos online

THE RSPCA has welcomed plans to ban under-16s from accessing social media, warning that online platforms have become “poisoned” by images and videos glorifying animal cruelty.

The charity said the move could help protect children from disturbing content and reduce the risk of young people becoming desensitised to animal suffering.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that children under 16 in the UK will be barred from using social media platforms, in what the government says is a major step to protect young people online.

David Bowles OBE, the RSPCA’s Head of Public Affairs, said the charity supported measures aimed at shielding children from harmful material.

He said: “Social media channels have become poisoned by images and videos which glorify animal abuse, so the RSPCA welcomes moves that better protect children from this disturbing content.

“Our Animal Kindness Index highlights that 30% of people have witnessed animal cruelty online, and social media is by far the most likely place for them to stumble upon it.”

Mr Bowles said restrictions on animal cruelty content were included in the Online Safety Act three years ago, but young people were still being exposed to abuse material.

He added that the charity had seen cases where people copied cruelty they had viewed online.

The RSPCA said any ban must be backed by continued pressure on social media companies to remove content glorifying animal violence and to make it easier for users to report cruelty.

Mr Bowles said technology could still be used positively to connect young people with animals, including through the RSPCA’s Animal Futures game and its Summer of Kindness campaign, which encourages families to help animals in their local communities.

He said the proposed ban, alongside plans for a new natural history GCSE in England, could help create “a better world for every kind.”