Boris Johnson has backed Trump’s claim that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he had been in the White House, reports Asian Lite News
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s “unpredictability” is an asset because it is a form of “deterrence” that keeps foreign leaders off balance.
“All deterrence is based on unpredictability, but it’s also based on strength”, he said in an interview to USA Today.
Taking a very different perspective from many leaders and media, he said, “People say that one of the things that worries people is his unpredictability, right? ‘Oh, he’s unpredictable’. That’s a good thing.”
“It’s good dealing internationally, because foreign leaders are a little nervous about (Trump)”, the Conservative British leader said.
He gave the example of Trump’s claim that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he had been in the White House.
“I think it is probably true that Putin would not have done it if he’d been in the White House — the ’22 invasion. I think that feels right to me”, he said.
Johnson was Britain’s foreign secretary from 2016 to 2018 when he became Prime Minister, an office he held till 2022, enabling him to watch both Trump and President Joe Biden at close quarters.
He did not endorse Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, “This is the decision for the American people.”
He said that unpredictability effectively gets the message across even to allies and recalled Trump at a 2017 NATO summit when Trump was accused of insulting the other leaders and acting churlish.
Trump tore up the prepared speech and “just extemporised this great tirade against everyone.”
His message was that NATO countries should increase their Defence budgets.
“The point was it was pure U.S. policy… but it was done in a totally unconventional way. And people later reported that summit saying, ‘oh, Trump was threatening to leave NATO.’ He wasn’t doing anything of the kind. He was simply enunciating standard American policy and standard British policy about getting the allies to spend more and pay more (for Defence)”, he said.
“He did it in a way that was unconventional”, he added, but “it was good because they did start to pay more.”
Johnson said that Trump’s unconventional style “may offend refined political tastes”, but it has an appeal.
Many European leaders “think it’s kind of uncouth, but I don’t, and it is a terrible thing to admit, but I like it, so shoot me”, he said.
“If he turns up in a garbage truck to satirise his opponent, I like that. That’s my kind of level, OK? And maybe it doesn’t suit more refined political tastes, but I happen to go with it”, he said.
Johnson was referring to Trump turning up in a garbage truck with a trash collector’s vest on Tuesday in Milwaukee after President Joe Biden called his supporters “garbage”.
“People attack populism, but I kind of feel that our system is a great, great system, and it won’t work if you can’t actually address what people want you to fix”, he said.
Regarding the fears that Trump may give up on Ukraine, Johnson said that Trump’s actual record shows otherwise.
He said that Trump, for example, had given Ukraine Javelin missiles, and “if you look at the actual evidence of what he did, it was actually in sharp contrast to the relative inertia under the previous Democrat administration.”
Immigration, the economy, and how the Conservatives can rebuild trust with voters have been debated at length through the campaign…reports Asian Lite News
Voting has ended in the marathon contest to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader. The winner will be announced on Saturday morning, almost four months after the Tories’ crushing general election defeat which triggered Sunak’s resignation.
Conservative members have been choosing between former Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick, after four other candidates were eliminated in a series of votes by the party’s MPs. Badenoch is the favourite to win, but Jenrick insisted the contest was “close”, saying “we’re chasing down every vote”.
Appearing on the Politics Live programme, he said he wanted “whoever is elected to have a mandate from the membership”. Earlier this week, Badenoch also suggested there had been a low turnout: “I’m doing more media this week specifically because people aren’t turning out to vote as much as we would have expected.”
Immigration, the economy, and how the Conservatives can rebuild trust with voters have been debated at length through the campaign.
The party suffered its worst general defeat in its history in July as it was reduced to a record low of 121 seats in the House of Commons, with under 24% of the vote. Priti Patel, Mel Stride, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly spent the summer campaigning alongside the final two, after they put their names forward for leader.
Patel and Stride were eliminated in September, followed by Tugendhat and Cleverly after the party conference in Birmingham. Cleverly was regarded as having performed best at the conference and topped the third MPs’ ballot.
But he was surprisingly knocked out when Tory MPs voted for the final time 24 hours later. Badenoch secured 42 votes, Jenrick 41 and Cleverly 37. A survey of Tory members by the ConservativeHome website last week suggested Badenoch led Jenrick by 55% to 31%, with a further 14% undecided.
Jenrick, who resigned from Sunak’s government in protest at its approach to tackling migration, put the issue at the centre of his leadership bid. He has called for a legally-binding cap on net migration, and for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights which he argues has made it “impossible to secure our borders”.
He has also repeatedly criticised Badenoch for refusing to set out detailed policies during the campaign. Jenrick told GB News the Conservatives “lost four million voters to Reform at the last election” and it was “going to take a lot” to persuade them to come back.
“That’s why I say we’re going to have to change the party fundamentally, and this time actually deliver, because we didn’t deliver on some of those big questions. I think just saying that we will think this through, we’ll come forward with policies in the months or years to come, isn’t going to cut it.”
Badenoch has called for a return to core Conservative values, arguing the previous Tory government “talked right but governed left”. Kemi Badenoch: Political scrapper set on ‘governing right’
She backs a smaller state with government doing “fewer things” but doing them better. And she has countered Jenrick’s criticism of her by arguing that the party needs to first decide what it stands for.
She told GB News: “We need to get back to first principles. We ended up talking about policy without rooting it in principles.” Badenoch also condemned the Budget as one that would destroy jobs and lower wages. She described the government as “Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour with Keir Starmer fronting it”.
Jenrick told Politics Live the Budget was “disgraceful” and voters were “furious” with its “dishonesty” after Labour’s election promise not to increase taxes for working people. “Rachel Reeves is a compulsive liar,” he said.
In the same interview, Jenrick also hit back after Sir Keir Starmer warned MPs, including the Tory leadership candidates, they “can either support the police in their difficult work” on the Southport attack or “undermine” them. On Tuesday, it emerged that 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana, who is accused of murdering three young girls in the attack, had also been charged with production of the poison, ricin, and possession of a military study of the Al Qaeda training manual, an offence under terrorism legislation.
Counter Terrorism Police are currently not treating the attack as a terrorist incident. On Tuesday, Jenrick suggested information about the attack had been “concealed”, while Badenoch said the government, police and prosecutors had “questions to answer”.
Speaking on Politics Live, Jenrick said it was “quite wrong, anti-democratic that he [the PM] was able to make a political statement about this case, but those of us in Parliament, in opposition, were not able to question him”.
Satrmer needed to say when he had learnt this information and, if it was months ago, to explain why he had not been “more open and honest about it”, he added. “I’m merely asking the question. What I’m worried about here is permanent erosion in public trust in policing and the criminal justice system. And I’m worried we’re in that place right now.”
Meanwhile, the two candidates have declared a further £112,500 in donations to their campaigns. Badenoch received £82,500, according to the latest register of MPs’ interests, including £40,000 from billionaire Alan Howard. Jenrick declared two donations totalling £30,000. Over the course of the campaign, Jenrick has received a total of £480,000 while his rival has received £422,500.
Residents of Hodeidah told that “a huge explosion” rocked the city before dawn. The US Central Command has yet to comment…reports Asian Lite News
A warplane belonging to the US-British navy coalition launched an airstrike on Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Thursday early morning, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
“The strike hit near the Hodeidah University,” southern the city, according to the report. No further details or casualties were reported, as the Houthi rebel group, which controls much of northern Yemen, rarely discloses its losses.
Residents of Hodeidah told that “a huge explosion” rocked the city before dawn. The US Central Command has yet to comment.
Since November last year, the rebel group has been launching rocket and drone attacks targeting what it described as “Israeli-linked” ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In response, the US-British navy coalition stationed in the waters has been conducting sporadic air raids and strikes against Houthi targets to deter the group.
Last month, two vessels sustained damage after being hit with missiles and a sea drone off Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeidah. Both vessels reported that their crews were safe.
One of the vessels, the Panama-flagged tanker M/T Cordelia Moon, reported being hit by an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) 64 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said.
The vessel, which was in ballast condition, was damaged on its port side tank, British security firm Ambrey and the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said, adding that it was proceeding to its next port of call.
The vessel had earlier reported seeing four splashes in the water close to it, which a maritime security source said were attempted missile attacks.
The second vessel, which sources said was a Liberia-flagged bulker, sustained damage after it was hit by a missile about 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, Ambrey and maritime security sources said. The firm said it was bound for Suez.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants later claimed the attack on the Cordelia Moon, saying that it was struck with eight ballistic and winged missiles, a drone and an uncrewed surface boat.
They also said they had targeted a third ship, Marathopolis, in the Indian Ocean with a drone and with a winged missile.
Houthis have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since last November in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Immigration, the economy, and how the Conservatives can rebuild trust with voters have been debated at length through the campaign…reports Asian Lite News
Voting has ended in the marathon contest to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader. The winner will be announced on Saturday morning, almost four months after the Tories’ crushing general election defeat which triggered Sunak’s resignation.
Conservative members have been choosing between former Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick, after four other candidates were eliminated in a series of votes by the party’s MPs. Badenoch is the favourite to win, but Jenrick insisted the contest was “close”, saying “we’re chasing down every vote”.
Appearing on the Politics Live programme, he said he wanted “whoever is elected to have a mandate from the membership”. Earlier this week, Badenoch also suggested there had been a low turnout: “I’m doing more media this week specifically because people aren’t turning out to vote as much as we would have expected.”
Immigration, the economy, and how the Conservatives can rebuild trust with voters have been debated at length through the campaign.
The party suffered its worst general defeat in its history in July as it was reduced to a record low of 121 seats in the House of Commons, with under 24% of the vote. Priti Patel, Mel Stride, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly spent the summer campaigning alongside the final two, after they put their names forward for leader.
Patel and Stride were eliminated in September, followed by Tugendhat and Cleverly after the party conference in Birmingham. Cleverly was regarded as having performed best at the conference and topped the third MPs’ ballot.
But he was surprisingly knocked out when Tory MPs voted for the final time 24 hours later. Badenoch secured 42 votes, Jenrick 41 and Cleverly 37. A survey of Tory members by the ConservativeHome website last week suggested Badenoch led Jenrick by 55% to 31%, with a further 14% undecided.
Jenrick, who resigned from Sunak’s government in protest at its approach to tackling migration, put the issue at the centre of his leadership bid. He has called for a legally-binding cap on net migration, and for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights which he argues has made it “impossible to secure our borders”.
He has also repeatedly criticised Badenoch for refusing to set out detailed policies during the campaign. Jenrick told GB News the Conservatives “lost four million voters to Reform at the last election” and it was “going to take a lot” to persuade them to come back.
“That’s why I say we’re going to have to change the party fundamentally, and this time actually deliver, because we didn’t deliver on some of those big questions. I think just saying that we will think this through, we’ll come forward with policies in the months or years to come, isn’t going to cut it.”
Badenoch has called for a return to core Conservative values, arguing the previous Tory government “talked right but governed left”. Kemi Badenoch: Political scrapper set on ‘governing right’
She backs a smaller state with government doing “fewer things” but doing them better. And she has countered Jenrick’s criticism of her by arguing that the party needs to first decide what it stands for.
She told GB News: “We need to get back to first principles. We ended up talking about policy without rooting it in principles.” Badenoch also condemned the Budget as one that would destroy jobs and lower wages. She described the government as “Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour with Keir Starmer fronting it”.
Jenrick told Politics Live the Budget was “disgraceful” and voters were “furious” with its “dishonesty” after Labour’s election promise not to increase taxes for working people. “Rachel Reeves is a compulsive liar,” he said.
In the same interview, Jenrick also hit back after Sir Keir Starmer warned MPs, including the Tory leadership candidates, they “can either support the police in their difficult work” on the Southport attack or “undermine” them. On Tuesday, it emerged that 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana, who is accused of murdering three young girls in the attack, had also been charged with production of the poison, ricin, and possession of a military study of the Al Qaeda training manual, an offence under terrorism legislation.
Counter Terrorism Police are currently not treating the attack as a terrorist incident. On Tuesday, Jenrick suggested information about the attack had been “concealed”, while Badenoch said the government, police and prosecutors had “questions to answer”.
Speaking on Politics Live, Jenrick said it was “quite wrong, anti-democratic that he [the PM] was able to make a political statement about this case, but those of us in Parliament, in opposition, were not able to question him”.
Satrmer needed to say when he had learnt this information and, if it was months ago, to explain why he had not been “more open and honest about it”, he added. “I’m merely asking the question. What I’m worried about here is permanent erosion in public trust in policing and the criminal justice system. And I’m worried we’re in that place right now.”
Meanwhile, the two candidates have declared a further £112,500 in donations to their campaigns. Badenoch received £82,500, according to the latest register of MPs’ interests, including £40,000 from billionaire Alan Howard. Jenrick declared two donations totalling £30,000. Over the course of the campaign, Jenrick has received a total of £480,000 while his rival has received £422,500.
The resolution, drafted by Ireland and New Zealand, is expected to be overwhelmingly approved by the committee and then later by the full assembly. ..reports Asian Lite News
Non-proliferation groups are urging the UK government to make a late about-turn on plans to vote alongside France, Russia and North Korea against a UN resolution to study the effects of nuclear war.
In a debate on Friday, a UN general assembly committee will discuss a resolution to create an international panel of scientific experts to examine the global impact of different nuclear conflict scenarios.
The resolution, drafted by Ireland and New Zealand, is expected to be overwhelmingly approved by the committee and then later by the full assembly. Diplomats involved in preparations for the vote say the US and China are expected to abstain but that the UK, France, Russia and North Korea had indicated they were likely to vote against.
London and Paris joining forces with Moscow and Pyongyang would not stop the resolution but could have an impact on their reputations when it comes to other nuclear proliferation issues.
The UK and French missions to the UN did not respond to requests for comment and diplomats in New York said final decisions could be left until the last hours before the vote.
Arms control advocates expressed disappointment on Thursday that, with just 24 hours to go before the debate, the UK’s new Labour government had shown no signs of changing course.
“People naively thought that, with a Labour government, you would see a shift away from this kind of weird line that the UK has taken on this particular type of thing,” said Patricia Lewis, the head of the international security programme at the Chatham House thinktank. “Maybe this is the Labour party trying to be more Catholic than the pope when it comes to nuclear weapons, but why not vote with the US, and abstain?”
The panel proposed in Friday’s resolution would be the first such UN-mandated study since 1988 and experts say a lot has changed since then, in science and the nuclear threats around the world. For example, Russia and North Korea, countries which have made aggressive nuclear threats, have entered a deepening partnership.
Lewis argued that a no vote by the UK and France would undermine their credibility with other UN member states, especially when London and Paris are trying to rally global support for criticism of Moscow.
“The UK has been struggling to get countries like South Africa and Brazil onboard over the whole issue of Russia’s behaviour, so this is an opportunity for the UK to say: ‘Yes, we hear you,’” Lewis said. Observers believe the UK position could be the result of a pact with France to fend off criticism of their nuclear arsenals.
“I think this is building bridges with the French,” said Zia Mian, a physicist and co-director of Princeton University’s programme on science and global security. “The French don’t want to be alone with the Russians and the North Koreans and whatnot in voting no.”
The UK, France, Russia and North Korea have been on the same side in a UN vote before. In December last year, they were the only four countries to vote against a general assembly resolution aimed at helping radiation victims of nuclear testing and restoring the environment at past test sites.
Some arms control experts were still hoping on Thursday that the British policy had remained unchanged from the previous Tory government through sheer inertia and could still change if the matter gained the attention of the Labour leadership at the 11th hour.
“People are working hard in London to make sure that the political level knows that this is what’s going on, because often this is done on autopilot,” said Mian, who has argued for a new scientific panel. The UN panel would be made up of 21 scientific experts and would examine “the physical effects and societal consequences of a nuclear war on a local, regional and planetary scale”.
Scientists say such work is essential as so much has changed in the subject area since 1988, when the last study was done. For example, it was previously thought it would take a full-scale nuclear conflict between superpowers to plunge the world into a “nuclear winter”; it is now thought that even a limited nuclear exchange between regional adversaries could have such a devastating global effect. “They never imagined that the climate system was so sensitive to these kinds of effects,” Mian said.
The IFS said that while the spending increases announced by Reeves appeared big relative to the previous government’s plans, this was in large part because “their plans were unrealistic”….reports Asian Lite News
Rachel Reeves could need £9bn of further tax increases to avoid a fresh round of austerity for some struggling public services, despite her first budget setting out the largest rise in a generation, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said.
After the chancellor delivered Labour’s first budget in 14 years on Wednesday, the leading experts in public finances said she could be forced to top up her tax plans to avoid real-terms cuts in some areas, including councils, the justice system and prisons.
The IFS said that while Reeves had provided a substantial short-term funding boost to unpick “unrealistic” Conservative plans, she had pencilled in cuts to unprotected departments after the next financial year that were more than likely to need revisiting.
Paul Johnson, the director of the IFS, warned that Reeves’s £40bn tax-raising budget would mainly go towards steadying the government finances rather than paving the way for big improvements in public services.
He said the chancellor was gambling that either a short-term splurge in public spending could clear backlogs in the system, helping to bring down future costs, or could be hoping for stronger economic growth to bail the government out. “[But] if nothing else changes in the forecasts, particularly if we continue not to increase petrol duties, I think other taxes will likely have to rise,” he said.
Saying the spending plans amounted to “pretending” that Labour would splurge in the early years before reining in spending in future, he said: “That’s not going to happen. The spending plans will not survive contact with her cabinet colleagues.”
“I am willing to bet a substantial sum that day-to-day public service spending will in fact increase more quickly than supposedly planned after next year,” he added.
The IFS said that while the spending increases announced by Reeves appeared big relative to the previous government’s plans, this was in large part because “their plans were unrealistic”.
Johnson said: “Despite the apparent scale of the increases, this is not going to feel like Christmas has come for the public realm.”
In her budget on Wednesday, the chancellor set out a real-terms increase in day-to-day spending on public services of 4.3% this year and 2.6% next year, before pencilling in a rise of 1.3% each year.
“It would be odd to increase spending rapidly only to start cutting back again in subsequent years,” Johnson said.
In the final two budgets set by the Conservatives, Jeremy Hunt, the then chancellor, announced sweeping tax cuts despite ballooning pressures on public services and soaring debt interest payments.
Johnson said: “To cut £20bn from employee national insurance last year in the face of known fiscal pressures was not responsible.”
The government predicts that private school fees could rise by an average of 10% due to the introduction of VAT….reports Asian Lite News
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) has said it will launch legal action against the government’s decision to impose VAT on independent school fees.
The council, which represents more than 1,400 private schools in the UK and abroad, reached its decision after a board meeting held on Thursday. Human rights barrister David Pannick KC will lead the challenge, which will be brought on behalf of parents.
It comes after the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, confirmed in the budget that 20% VAT would be applied to private schools from January, with the government estimating it could raise £460m next year, potentially rising to £1.7bn by 2029/30. Julie Robinson, the chief executive of ISC, said: “This is a decision that has not been taken lightly and has been under consideration for many months.
“At all points throughout this debate, our focus has been on the children in our schools who would be negatively impacted by this policy. “This focus remains and we will be defending the rights of families who have chosen independent education but who may no longer be able to do so as a direct result of an unprecedented education tax.”
The government predicts that private school fees could rise by an average of 10% due to the introduction of VAT. It projects that about 35,000 pupils will transfer to state schools over time, as well as an additional 2,000 students leaving private institutions, including international pupils. European diplomats have called for the international institutions to retain the exemption.
The German and French ambassadors to the UK, Miguel Berger and Hélène Duchêne, said international schools were distinct from British private schools because the option of transferring to the British state sector was not always realistic for their pupils.
“For expats coming here for two, three or four years wanting their children to go back to the national system, their only option is to go to these schools,” Berger said.
He said, “We would really like to see the British government recognise the importance of these schools – not only for our political and cultural relations but also for the people this will affect.”
Meanwhile, a total of 37,000 pupils leaving or never entering the sector equates to about 6% of the current private school population, the government said. On Wednesday, the government said it would increase the funding allocated to the continuity of education allowance (CEA), which supports mobile military and diplomatic families with boarding school fees for their children, before the imposition of VAT on private schools next year.
It came after warnings from staff they could quit the armed forces if they were not given help before the VAT changes. But the ISC remains concerned about the impact of the VAT policy on small faith schools, specialist arts and music provision and on thousands of children with special educational needs and disabilities in private schools.
The ISC has said the legal case will focus on claims of breaches of the European convention on human rights and the Human Rights Act 1998. It will be separate from other litigation but the ISC will be liaising with these other third-party groups. A pre-action letter about plans for high court action will be issued to the government shortly.
Earlier, members of a campaign group opposing plans to apply VAT to private school fees targeted Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, with personal abuse, accusing her of aping the tactics of Nazi Germany and labelling her a “vile hag”.
A series of messages on the private Facebook group run by the campaign body Education Not Taxation: Parents Against School Fee VAT (ENT), seen by the Observer, levelled personal attacks on Phillipson. One message read: “1930s Germany targeted the Jewish minority on the basis of their perceived privilege Bridget Phillipson. Just like you going after the 500,000 children in private school. Who cares though eh? Firstly they are only 7%, and secondly, they are not Keir Starmer’s kids.”
Three victims of Fayed’s abuse posed with tote bags with the Harrods logo crossed out during a press conference by the Justice for Harrods Survivors group….reports Asian Lite News
Former Harrods staff who were sexually abused by Mohamed Al Fayed have called for a boycott of the luxury store as it was revealed that more than 400 victims of his predatory behaviour had come forward.
Three victims of Fayed’s abuse posed with tote bags with the Harrods logo crossed out during a press conference by the Justice for Harrods Survivors group.
Lawyers for the group revealed they had been approached by 421 people, most of whom alleged they were sexually abused or harassed by Fayed when he was the owner of Harrods from 1985-2010. Bruce Drummond KC, at New Bailey Chambers, said: “That is industrial scale abuse – abuse that could have only been perpetrated with a system that enabled the abuse to happen.
“The majority of those contacting us are from the UK but the claims against Harrods and Fayed are still coming in from all around the world: Canada, Asia, Australia, America and Europe.”
One of the victims, who wanted to be identified only as Lindsay, described Harrods as “a store that enabled the rape and sexual abuse of so many young and innocent women … So we don’t think that people should be shopping there. We think they should be going elsewhere.”
Jen, who was backing a boycott, said: “It’s horrifying and it’s incredibly sad – we thought there were only few of us that went through this, and we’re realising it’s hundreds and hundreds of women over a 25- to 30-year period.” Lawyers for the survivors questioned the independence of Harrods’ own investigation into Fayed’s behaviour when he was the chair. The barrister Maria Mulla asked: “Who from Harrods designed and is leading this ongoing internal review? Did anyone who was still within the business from the Al Fayed’s time, recuse themselves from discussion over the design and execution of this review?”
She confirmed that four of Fayed’s victims had withdrawn from a settlement scheme set up by Harrods, over concerns that it was being managed by a consultant who had been employed at the store when Fayed was chair.
Asked how many “enablers” of Fayed’s alleged sexual misconduct had been identified by the group, Mulla said: “It was a very large web. Some of them are still alive – it’s not in our ability to name names or announce who those individuals are.”
The lawyers also confirmed the first letter of claim had been sent to the London department store. “It’s the first of hundreds to come; it’s going to snowball and snowball,” Drummond said.
Six of the accusers are Australian women. Drummond told Australian broadcaster ABC on Thursday that five were employed at Harrods and one worked for a supplier. All were in their 20s.
“It was the most wonderful thing they had, quite understandably, working for this amazing store, working for this very powerful individual who was a billionaire … then a lot of them, after they had been subjected to this horrific ordeal, fled [back to Australia],” he said.
The Metropolitan police asked prosecutors to decide whether to charge the former Harrods and Fulham FC owner in relation to only two of 21 women who made allegations, including of rape and sexual assault, between 2005 and 2023.
Evidence was shown to the Crown Prosecution Service in 2009 and 2015 but it decided not to proceed with either because there was not “a realistic prospect of conviction”. Dean Armstrong KC said many of the victims were sceptical about the police investigations. He said: “In lots of cases there are trust issues, because a lot of our survivors in their hours of need went to the police and little or nothing was done.”
Jen said after helping Vanity Fair with an article about Fayed’s abuse, she was contacted by John Mcnamara, a former Met detective. She said: “I was contacted by John Mcnamara, who was then head of security from Mohamed, who asked me to think very carefully about my involvement in Vanity Fair and just to remind me that he knew where I lived and he knew where my parents lived, and wouldn’t it be terrible if something would happen to either them or myself? It’s that kind of terror that kept us all so quiet for so long.”
The Budget will fully fund the UK’s association with Horizon Europe, providing scientists and innovators access to the world’s largest collaborative funding scheme…reports Asian Lite News
At Wednesday’s Budget the Chancellor has announced the highest ever level of government investment of £20.4 billion in research and development for next year, reinforcing the government’s commitment to back the UK’s R&D ecosystem to drive economic growth and achieve its five national missions.
The Budget will fully fund the UK’s association with Horizon Europe, providing scientists and innovators access to the world’s largest collaborative funding scheme, with over £80 billion available for cutting-edge projects under the EU scheme. DSIT’s own R&D budget has increased to £13.9 billion, and core research funding has also been increased to a record £6.1 billion, bolstering the UK’s leading research base.
A significant part of this Budget is dedicated to the UK’s life sciences sector, a cornerstone for positioning the UK as a leader in science and innovation, through a £520 million commitment to the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund.
Additionally, the Chancellor announced funding for several other programmes to be led by DSIT. Together, these investments underscore the importance of science and technology in driving economic growth essential to raising living standards and funding public services, positioning the UK at the forefront of global innovation and progress.
Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said, “The Autumn Budget is clear recognition of this government’s view that driving economic growth and improving people’s lives cannot be done without investing in science and technology. That’s why we are taking R&D investment to record levels and matching our words with action by empowering researchers and businesses to solve real-world problems, grow emerging new industries and create high-quality jobs.”
DSIT’s Autumn Budget announcements include: Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund. The Chancellor unveiled the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF), starting with £70 million in grants, as part of a long-term commitment of up to £520 million to secure major life sciences manufacturing investments across the UK.
This fund strengthens the country’s ability to develop and produce life-saving treatments, ensuring quicker access to vital medicines and bolstering NHS stability.
The LSIMF is expected to unlock up to £1.8 billion in private investment, supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs and driving economic growth nationwide, while preparing the UK for future health emergencies and enhancing NHS resilience.
The new R&D Missions Programme (RDMP), which we are initially investing £25 million for, will address specific challenges our National Missions face, such as advancing healthcare and transitioning to cleaner energy. Partnering with private and third-sector organisations, this initiative aims to turn scientific advancements into real-world benefits, improving public services and quality of life across the UK.
To support the UK’s Growth Mission, the government is investing £40 million over five years in a Proof of Concept Fund, to turn pioneering university research into successful companies. This initiative aids researchers in bringing their innovative ideas to the market, creating high-potential start-ups that drive job creation and economic growth.
Successful spinouts like Pragmatic Semiconductor, which raised £182 million to help open its first manufacturing facility and create 500 high-skilled jobs, or Oxford Nanopore with over 1,000 employees, highlight the potential impact of research-led innovation.
The government has extended for a further year, two key programmes that promote innovation across UK regions and manufacturing. The Innovation Accelerator programme will continue for another year, focusing on high-potential clusters in the Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester, and the West Midlands.
Successes include Chemify, a Glasgow-based spin-out developing new methods for chemical manufacturing, which has since attracted £28 million in private funding, and the Biochar Cleantech Accelerator in the West Midlands, which is creating new products to support green growth. These projects demonstrate the benefits of R&D across the country and its support for regional economic growth.
Meanwhile, the Made Smarter Innovation programme will continue to be funded with up to £37 million, and empowers manufacturers to adopt digital technologies, enhancing productivity and sustainability by connecting digital solution providers with industry.
The government will invest at least £500 million over the next year in Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network, accelerating the rollout of digital infrastructure to underserved regions in the UK. The funding aims to deliver full gigabit coverage by 2030, ensuring fast, reliable internet access for communities and businesses, enabling equal access to digital opportunities nationwide.
DSIT will invest up to £80 million to enhance corporate functions across nine government departments. It aims to transform shared services and streamline systems, making them more efficient, modern, and cost-effective, delivering better value for taxpayers.
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, receives an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Seattle, the United States. (Xinhua/Qin Lang/IANS)
Bill Gates criticises cut to overseas aid
Bill Gates has joined a chorus of international development voices criticising the government cutting billions in overseas aid spending in the Budget. On Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves chose not to renew a £2.5bn top-up to the UK’s overseas aid budget introduced by the Tories to compensate for the huge amount of foreign aid being spent housing refugees and asylum seekers in hotels.
The Treasury announced government departments would spend £13.3bn on overseas development assistance this financial year – meeting its target of spending 0.5% of national income on aid. Gates, the billionaire co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, called the Budget “a disappointing outcome for the world’s most vulnerable people”.
The Tory foreign aid top-up has been in place for two years – ensuring aid spending in 2023 amounted to 0.58% of national income, some £15.3bn. Last year, the Home Office spent £4.3bn on asylum seekers in the UK – more than a quarter of the foreign aid budget.
In its so-called “red book” setting out the Budget details, the Treasury acknowledged the government had spent “an increasing proportion” of overseas aid on refugees and asylum seekers which had “significant implications” for aid spending overseas. “The government is committed to ensuring that asylum costs fall, has taken measures to reduce the asylum backlog and is ending the use of expensive hotel accommodation,” the Treasury said.
“These plans should create more space in the [Official Development Assistance] budget to spend on our international development priorities overseas.”
International aid charities were dismayed at what they said was a cut worth almost £2bn in the UK’s aid priorities overseas. Following the announcement, Gates said the UK “withdrawing” from its overseas aid role “leaves us all at greater risk”.
“Today’s Budget is a disappointing outcome for the world’s most vulnerable people,” he said in a statement. I hope to see the UK chart a path back to the commitments that demonstrate this global outlook in action.”
The 44-year-old, who has served as interim leader of the Conservatives following the party’s general election loss in July, took his final Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons as an opportunity for a light-hearted exchange with Prime Minister Keir Starmer….reports Asian Lite News
Rishi Sunak bowed out as UK Opposition Leader in Parliament on Wednesday with a reference to his career’s Diwali milestones, being appointed the country’s first Prime Minister of Indian heritage two years ago during the Festival of Lights.
The 44-year-old, who has been serving as interim leader of the Conservatives until a new Tory leader is elected after the party’s general election defeat in July, used his final Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons for a light-hearted exchange with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“I became leader of my party during Diwali and I now stand down during that same festival”, said Sunak.
“I’m proud to have been the first British Asian Prime Minister, and I am even prouder that it was not that big a deal; and that speaks volumes about the values of the British people, of our country and of this Parliament. So will the Prime Minister join me in applauding the kindness, decency and tolerance that has always been the British way”, he said.
It was during Diwali in October 2022 that Sunak, joined by wife Akshata and daughters Krishna and Anoushka, entered 10 Downing Street and went on to adorn its steps with diyas and rangoli for two consecutive years.
Starmer said all sections of the British Parliament were proud to have had Sunak “representing our diverse country” as Prime Minister. He also paid tribute to the outgoing Opposition Leader’s “hard work, commitment and decency” despite their many political disagreements.
“I wish everyone celebrating in the UK and around the world a joyful Diwali, a time to come together to celebrate and focus on a brighter future”, said Starmer.
“Last Diwali, the Leader of the Opposition (Sunak) and his family lit the diyas outside 10 Downing Street. It was a significant moment in our national story. The first British Asian Prime Minister is a reminder that this is a country where people of every background have fulfilled their dreams, and it makes us all proud to be British”, added Starmer, who followed up the trend set by his Indian-origin predecessor to light diyas on the steps of 10 Downing Street on Tuesday evening to mark Diwali.
Alluding to some media speculation around his relocation plans to California, Sunak jokingly reiterated his intention to take his place on the backbenches of the Commons as member of Parliament for Richmond and Northallerton in Yorkshire.
“Today is my last appearance at PMQs, and I am happy to confirm reports that I will now be spending more time in the greatest place on earth, where the scenery is indeed worthy of a movie set and everybody is a character – that’s right, if anyone needs me, I will be in Yorkshire”, he said, evoking much laughter among his parliamentary colleagues.
The Tory leadership election is set to conclude on Saturday, when one of Sunak’s former Cabinet colleagues – Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick – will be declared leader of the Conservatives to take Sunak’s place as Leader of the Opposition.
