LONDON: Britain named Anne Keast-Butler as the first female director of its intelligence communications agency GCHQ on Tuesday, tasked with protecting the country from terrorists, cyber-criminals and malign foreign powers.
She will take over the role in May, succeeding Jeremy Fleming who is stepping down after a six-year tenure.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who made the appointment, said Keast-Butler had an impressive track record at the heart of Britain’s national security network. “Anne will use her vast experience to help keep the British public safe,” he said.
She is currently deputy director general at Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, known as MI5.
GCHQ is Britain’s main eavesdropping agency and has a close relationship with the US National Security Agency as well as with counterparts in Canada, Australia and New Zealand in a consortium called “Five Eyes.”
GCHQ, which traces its roots back to the early 20th century after the outbreak of World War One, follows MI5, three decades later, in appointing a female head.
Stella Rimington became the first woman to lead MI5 in 1992 and was said to have inspired the casting of Judi Dench in the role of “M,” head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service known as MI6, in the James Bond movies a couple of years later.
GCHQ provided a rare statement on its offensive cyber work earlier this month, revealing that its hackers had launched operations against militants, state-backed disinformation campaigns and attempts to interfere in elections.
The group also works with MI6, MI5, police, the government’s defense department and overseas partners, and in the private sector and academia.
Britain names MI5 deputy as first female cyber spy boss
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Britain names MI5 deputy as first female cyber spy boss
- Anne Keast-Butler will take over the role in May, succeeding Jeremy Fleming who is stepping down after a six-year tenure
- She is currently deputy director general at Britain's domestic intelligence agency, known as MI5
Fourth Palestine Action activist ends hunger strike in UK prison
- Amy Gardiner-Gibson began eating again after 49 days of protest
- Govt rejects claims it ignored prison safety protocols
LONDON: A fourth Palestine Action activist imprisoned in the UK has ended her hunger strike.
Amy Gardiner-Gibson, who also uses the name Amu Gib, began eating again after 49 days of fasting, the campaign group Prisoners for Palestine said.
Qesser Zuhrah, another activist, ended her hunger strike last week after 48 days but said she might resume it next year, Sky News reported.
Four Palestine Action activists have now ended their hunger strikes while in prison, while four others are continuing to fast.
All of them are in prison on remand, awaiting trial for a series of high-profile alleged break-ins and criminal damage.
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization and banned earlier this year.
On Tuesday, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was arrested in central London at a rally in support of the hunger strikers.
The protesters are demanding that weapons factories in Britain with ties to Israel be shut down, as well as the removal of Palestine Action’s proscription.
They are also calling for immediate bail to be given to imprisoned pro-Palestine activists and an end to the alleged mistreatment of prisoners in custody.
Seven imprisoned members of Palestine Action have been transferred to hospital over the course of the hunger strike campaign. Doctors have highlighted concerns about the long-term impact of fasting on the activists.
Lawyers representing the group on Monday initiated legal action against the government over its alleged failure to follow prison safety regulations.
The government, however, has rejected this accusation, Sky News reported.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Ministers do not intervene in individual cases. Where individuals are on remand, doing so would risk prejudicing ongoing legal proceedings and undermine the independence of the justice system.
“Concerns about welfare and process can be raised through established legal and administrative channels, including prison governors and ultimately the prison and probation ombudsman.
“Healthcare decisions are taken independently by qualified NHS professionals and appropriate care and oversight frameworks remain in place.”
The activists still on hunger strike include Heba Muraisi and Teuta Hoxha. Hoxha has been on remand for 13 months and her family told Sky News they feared she would die in prison.
Another of the activists, Kamran Ahmad, is believed to have been on hunger strike for 45 days and hospitalized three times.
Lewie Chiaramello, who has Type 1 diabetes, is on day 31 of his strike and taking part by fasting every other day.
