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A Turkish man believed to be a primary supplier of small boats and engines to people smugglers has been arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in a coordinated operation involving the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and police from the Netherlands and Belgium. The 44-year-old suspect, who has not been publicly named, is accused of supplying essential equipment to smuggling operations in northern France, aiding illegal crossings of the English Channel.

The suspect’s arrest came on Wednesday as authorities tracked him traveling from Turkey to the Netherlands. He now faces extradition to Belgium, where he will be charged with human smuggling, according to the NCA. Authorities allege he operated a supply chain extending from Turkey, where he sourced engines and boats, through Germany for storage, and ultimately to northern France, where the equipment was allegedly handed over to smuggling networks.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised the arrest as a “significant piece of the jigsaw” in efforts to curb dangerous Channel crossings. However, he acknowledged that the fight against illegal immigration and people smuggling would require sustained, multifaceted measures. “I’m not pretending this is the silver bullet,” Starmer stated, emphasizing that additional actions would be necessary to meaningfully impact the volume of Channel crossings.

The arrest represents what the NCA has described as a milestone in its ongoing battle against organized immigration crime. NCA Director General for Operations Rob Jones called the suspect a “major supplier” of equipment used in risky and illegal Channel crossings and highlighted the operation as one of the agency’s most significant efforts in tackling immigration-related organized crime. The NCA is currently leading around 70 investigations into high-ranking networks and individuals involved in human trafficking or illegal immigration.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also highlighted the significance of international collaboration, attributing the success of the arrest to joint efforts between the NCA and European partners. “The excellent work of the UK’s National Crime Agency has been critical to this. We will stop at nothing to root out criminal networks wherever we find them,” she said.

The UK government has recently escalated its approach to people smuggling, with Sir Keir Starmer announcing an additional £75 million to strengthen border policing and pledging to treat human traffickers “like terrorists.” This arrest, Starmer said, demonstrated the effectiveness of partnering with international agencies to dismantle smuggling networks.

The development follows a high-profile conviction in the UK last week. Amanj Hasan Zada, an Iranian national residing in Lancashire, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for operating what the NCA described as a “sophisticated enterprise” facilitating Channel crossings. Zada, who had gained notoriety for promoting his services on Facebook, was deemed one of the “best smugglers” by prosecutors, underscoring the profitable nature of this dangerous trade.

The issue of Channel crossings remains urgent, with more than 32,000 people making the journey so far in 2024 — a number that has already exceeded the total for 2023. Tragically, over 50 people have died attempting the perilous crossing this year, highlighting the deadly risks associated with the people smuggling trade. The UK government’s latest steps, coupled with high-profile arrests, reflect a renewed determination to address this ongoing crisis.

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Spain Arrests Police Chief Amid Investigation Into Massive Cocaine Bust

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Spain has arrested the police chief responsible for the nation’s economic crimes unit after €20 million was discovered hidden in the walls of his home. The arrest of Óscar Sánchez Gil, along with 15 other individuals—including his partner, who is also a police officer—comes as part of an ongoing investigation into Spain’s largest-ever cocaine seizure.

Sánchez Gil, who until recently headed the national police’s fraud and anti-money laundering division, was detained last week. Authorities reportedly found €20 million concealed in the walls and ceilings of his home in Alcala de Henares, a town east of Madrid. An additional €1 million was also discovered locked away in his office. The arrested individuals face charges related to drug trafficking, money laundering, bribery, corruption, and participation in a criminal organization.

The arrests are connected to the discovery last month of 13 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a cargo container of bananas shipped from Ecuador to Spain’s southern port of Algeciras. This bust, the second largest ever recorded in Europe, is part of a broader investigation into the operation of international drug trafficking networks. Spanish police said the shipment had been flagged for inspection because the Ecuadorian exporter had a history of illicit activities.

Following the cocaine bust, authorities conducted searches of multiple homes and offices in Madrid and Alicante, uncovering connections between the cocaine traffickers and Sánchez Gil. Media reports suggest that Sánchez Gil, previously a member of the national police’s narcotics division, initially made contact with criminal organizations while purportedly working to combat drug trafficking. Over time, however, he is believed to have helped these drug gangs evade police detection, particularly in smuggling cocaine from Ecuador.

Police sources confirmed that the €20 million seized from Sánchez Gil’s home was not linked to the recent cocaine bust, but instead represented profits from his years of collaboration with criminal networks. Spanish authorities suggest the money was accumulated through his illicit activities, which reportedly began during his tenure in narcotics enforcement.

The discovery of the massive cocaine shipment, which was intended for distribution across Europe, comes amid increasing concerns over the growing influx of hard drugs entering European ports from Latin America. Narcotics police chief António Jesús Martínez noted that the drugs were destined for wider distribution throughout Europe, which has seen a significant rise in smuggling operations in recent years.

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The Guardian Announces Departure from X, Citing Toxic Environment

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The Guardian, one of the UK’s leading newspaper groups, has announced it will cease posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, due to what it described as the platform’s increasingly “toxic” nature. In a statement to its readers, the publication expressed growing concerns over the direction of the platform under the ownership of Elon Musk, particularly in light of the recent US presidential election.

The Guardian’s decision reflects its apprehension that Musk has used X to influence political discourse, with the media group pointing to his outspoken support for former President Donald Trump. Musk, who is known for his political involvement, has recently been given a role in Trump’s incoming administration to help cut government spending. The Guardian stated that it had been “considering for a while” the negative effects of being on the platform, citing issues such as the promotion of far-right conspiracy theories and racism.

While the newspaper confirmed it would no longer post directly on X, it clarified that readers could still share its articles on the platform. Additionally, The Guardian is likely to continue embedding X posts in its coverage of major world events. Despite this, the publication concluded that the “benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives.”

The announcement was also shared on X itself, where reactions from users were mixed. Some responses, particularly from those who paid for prominent replies, criticized The Guardian’s decision, accusing the newspaper of promoting “woke propaganda” and “virtue signaling.”

The departure marks a sharp critique of the platform’s increasing political alignment with Trump, a figure The Guardian has long opposed. The timing of the decision, following Trump’s election victory, appears strategic, with the publication positioning itself as a key part of the opposition to Trump’s influence. The Guardian, which prides itself on being “the world’s leading liberal voice,” has used the election results to emphasize its independence from billionaire media moguls like Musk.

In a surprising turn, The Guardian’s readers responded enthusiastically to a fundraising appeal, pledging more than $1.8 million (£1.4 million) in a single day, setting a record for the newspaper. Ben Mullin, media reporter for The New York Times, noted that this surge in donations reflects growing public support for adversarial journalism in the post-election climate.

The move away from X by The Guardian could signal a wider shift in media behavior. X’s competitors, particularly Meta’s Threads and Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky, are seeing increasing user engagement. In the past two months, Bluesky gained four million new users and briefly topped the download charts in both the UK and US Apple App Stores, although it remains a smaller player with just 15 million users globally.

As X faces mounting criticism, industry experts are questioning whether more major outlets will follow The Guardian’s lead.

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Writing a To-Do List Before Bed May Help You Sleep Better, Study Finds

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Struggling to sleep due to stress about upcoming tasks may be more common than you think, but a new study suggests that writing a to-do list before bed could be a simple yet effective solution.

In a study conducted at Baylor University in the U.S., participants who wrote a to-do list before bed fell asleep faster than those who wrote about what they had accomplished that day. The results were clear: the group writing a list of tasks for the following day and beyond fell asleep an average of nine minutes quicker.

Dr. Michael Scullin, director of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor, led the research and used a method called polysomnography to confirm sleep patterns. This technique, which tracks brainwaves and other bodily functions, found that the to-do list group experienced quicker sleep onset compared to the group who reflected on their completed tasks.

The study’s findings can be attributed to a psychological mechanism called “cognitive offloading.” This is when individuals reduce mental stress by taking physical action, like writing down thoughts, to make mental tasks easier. By writing a to-do list, individuals can reduce the mental burden of trying to remember and process tasks when they should be winding down. The process of transferring tasks from the mind to paper helps to organize thoughts and provides reassurance that the tasks are not forgotten.

Christine Syrek, a researcher from the University of Trier, studied employees at a German IT company and found that individuals with unfinished work at the end of the week were more likely to ruminate on work-related problems over the weekend. This “perseverative cognition” worsened sleep quality, suggesting that unresolved tasks are a significant contributor to sleep disturbances. Syrek’s findings indicated that the perception of incomplete tasks could have a lingering impact on sleep, even more so than time pressures at work.

Dr. Scullin’s study, although not large, supports the idea that offloading tasks before bedtime can significantly reduce the cognitive load. His research found that participants who wrote longer to-do lists, with more than 10 specific tasks, fell asleep even faster—up to 15 minutes quicker than those who didn’t write any list. The more comprehensive the list, the better the results, as it provided a clearer structure for handling the upcoming workload.

While it may feel like an added effort when you’re already tired, taking the time to write down your tasks before bed could help ease anxiety and lead to better sleep. So, next time you’re struggling to drift off, consider creating a detailed to-do list—your brain may thank you for it.

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