Ex squaddie in court for helping to fight Islamic state

A former British Army soldier who joined Kurdish forces to fight Islamic State appeared in court charged with a terrorism offence in the first case of its kind. James Matthews, 43, is said to have joined the YPG in 2015, serving three tours with the Kurdish militia group, specialising in clearing mines and booby-traps. But according to the Turkish government, the YPG is linked to the PKK separatist group which is proscribed in the UK. Matthews served with the British…