After five hours of debate in the House of Commons on Friday, the vote concluded with 330 Members of Parliament (MPs) supporting the bill and 275 opposing it
The British parliament voted in favour of a bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people, a measure that has sparked divided opinions across the country.
After five hours of debate in the House of Commons on Friday, the vote concluded with 330 Members of Parliament (MPs) supporting the bill and 275 opposing it, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Terminally Ill Adults Bill, also known as the End of Life Bill, proposes allowing adults with terminal illnesses to request and receive assistance to end their own life, under safeguards and protections. The bill also includes provisions for connected purposes.
Under the proposed bill, individuals aged 18 or older in England and Wales, diagnosed with a terminal illness expected to result in death within six months, would be eligible to request assistance to end their own life. They must demonstrate mental capacity to make an informed, voluntary decision.
The process requires High Court approval for each case. The individual must self-administer the approved substance after a mandatory reflection period, during which they must reaffirm their intent through a second declaration.
Since the war Britain, aware that America had displaced Britain as the supreme power, has tried to hold on to some semblance of still being influential in world affairs by making much of its “special relationship” with America. With Trump in power all this means is that Nigel Farage, a backbench MP, has a special relationship with Trump… writes Mihir Bose
Dean Acheson, Secretary of State under President Harry Truman, famously said Britian has lost an empire but not found a role. They were made just after India won freedom but while they riled Britain then, and still does, they remain relevant. Keir Starmer may have come to power saying he would reset Britain’s foreign relations, but he has given no indication that he has found the switch, let alone move the dial.
This was vividly demonstrated during the G 20 summit in Brazil. To begin with look how the world sees Britain. Just before the summit the environmentalist campaigners circulated a mock up photograph of the heads of different world leaders bobbing just above the surface of a hostile sea indicating their inability to deal with the climate crisis. The heads featured the leaders of America, Russia, China, France, and India but no head of Starmer. Nothing better illustrates that, despite all that British politicians claim, it just does not cut the mustard on the world stage.
Since the war Britain, aware that America had displaced Britain as the supreme power, has tried to hold on to some semblance of still being influential in world affairs by making much of its “special relationship” with America. With Trump in power all this means is that Nigel Farage, a backbench MP, has a special relationship with Trump.
The other British claim is that it punches above its weight. Whenever I hear that I always think of the minnows who play in the FA Cup and manage to beat a top team and then preen themselves as giant killers. They get a few sport media headlines, but they change nothing. This is what Britain does on the world stage.
Nothing demonstrates this further than Starmer’s attempt to reset relationship with China and India.
Take China. It now seems another century when David Cameron had a beer with Xi Jinping in a pub in his constituency. Now we are told Chinese spies are everywhere. It is taking over countries in Asia and Africa creating a new Chinese empire and its cheap goods flooding western countries are destroying industry in these countries. We know Trump will impose huge tariffs on imports to America which could unleash a dreadful trade war.
So, what is Sir Keir Starmer’s response? A handshake with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 in Brazil with much being made of this being the first such meeting between the British and Chinese leaders since 2018. Rachel Reeves will follow up with a visit to China all part of what Starmer calls a “strong UK-China relationship”. But what will it mean? Will Starmer ask Xi Jinping to remove the secret devises the Chinese are supposed to have put in our fridges to record what we are saying as we get a carton of milk from the fridge?
The fact is Britain needs China more than China needs Britain. The media may talk of Chinese students coming to this country being spies but cut their numbers and you further decrease the income of British universities which are already hard pressed. All that will do is increase student fees which can hardly help Labour’s chances of holding on to power.
What Britain needs is to understand that the China of Xi Jinping has a completely different worldview, both domestically and in foreign affairs, to Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader the west fell in love with. This has been very well analysed by the former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who knows China and can speak Chinese. Rudd says that China’s economic thinking has moved to the left in a decisively more statist direction away from the historical dynamism of the private sector and Xi has a much harder edged foreign policy vision of China and a new determination to change the international status quo. This worldview is an integrated one where his ideological vision for China’s future is ultimately inseparable from his view on China’s position in the region and the world. For Xi “struggle” is a legitimate concept for the conduct of both Chinese domestic and foreign policy.
I would urge Sir Keir Starmer, or at least some of his advisors, to read Kevin Rudd’s On Xi Jinping, published by the Oxford University Press. Maybe Lord Ali could give this to him as a Christmas present. He could certainly afford the price of £26.99.
The G20 in Brazil also saw Starmer shake hands with Narendra Modi, the India Prime Minister and much was made of a new trade deal. Talks on a trade deal have been going on since Brexit and they have got nowhere because Britain will not give India what it wants. More opportunities for Indian students to come here. I wonder if after the handshake Starmer is offering Modi a Diwali present promising him that. If he did then it will not please Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader who, when Business and Trade Secretary, ruled it out because it would increase migration.
India, of course, presents a very different problem to Labour compared to China. Britain is no longer the country Indian leaders look to when they look abroad. Britain was one of the last countries Modi visited when he became Prime Minister. Also, the hold on Indian voters which Labour, on the basis it had given India freedom, had, has gone. During the last two elections a majority of Hindus voted for the Conservatives. The Gaza crisis has meant there were also defections from Muslims, although not to Conservatives but other parties creating some major upsets in Labour strongholds. Labour no longer has a major politician who can claim to have close connections with Indian leaders.
Starmer and Modi would never be bhai-bhai, brother-brother in the way say Modi is with Netanyahu and has tried, with some success, to be with Trump, even though he such a mercurial politician that one day a bhai, next day he could be dushman, enemy. Against such a background trade talks are unlikely to succeed. This could prove to another Starmer reset which is more words than action. Labour, as Acheson said, would still be left searching a role.
(Mihir Bose is the author of Thank You Mr Crombie Lessons in Guilt and Gratitude to the British.)
Britain recently suspended 30 of its 350 arms export licenses to Israel, citing concerns that the equipment could be used in ways that violate international humanitarian law….reports Asian Lite News
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the United Kingdom on Monday, as part of a two-day trip to open the US-UK Strategic Dialogue, according to the State Department. Blinken’s visit comes a week after Britain suspended some arms export licenses with Israel over concerns the equipment could be used in the Gaza conflict.
During his visit, Blinken will meet with senior UK officials to discuss key issues, including the Indo-Pacific, the AUKUS defense pact between the US, UK, and Australia, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Discussions will also cover Middle East tensions, particularly in Gaza.
Britain recently suspended 30 of its 350 arms export licenses to Israel, citing concerns that the equipment could be used in ways that violate international humanitarian law. This move has added to global pressure, including in the US, where the Biden administration faces calls to limit arms deliveries to Israel.
Blinken’s visit aims to reaffirm the US-UK relationship while addressing pressing global security challenges.
Earlier, he had called on Hamas to accept a US proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza. This appeal came after a “very constructive” meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. He emphasized that the latest effort to secure an agreement might be the best and possibly last opportunity for both sides.
The White House earlier announced that Starmer would visit next Friday, his second trip to Washington since his election.
He met President Joe Biden at the White House on 10 July, days after taking office, as Starmer attended a Nato summit in Washington. Britain and the US have cooperated in lockstep on most global issues, and Biden’s Democrats historically have been seen as closer to the Labour party than the Conservatives.
Starmer, however, has taken a harder line on Israel since taking office, with his government announcing a suspension of some arms shipments, citing the risk that they could be used to violate humanitarian law.
The Labour government has also dropped its Conservative predecessor’s plans to challenge the right of the international criminal court to seek the arrest of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US is not a member of the international criminal court and has opposed the effort to target Netanyahu, arguing that Israel has its own systems for accountability. But the US, Israel’s primary weapons supplier, did not criticise the arms decision, saying that Britain had its own process to make assessments.
‘US understands move to suspend Israeli arms sales’
Keir Starmer has suggested that the decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel has not impacted the UK’s relationship with the US.
Labour decided to suspend around 30 arms exports licences – out of a total of around 350 – to the Middle Eastern country last week.
It came after a government review found there was as “clear risk” of the equipment being used to break international humanitarian law in Gaza. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said “shameful” move would “embolden Hamas”.
The US’s National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, responded to the move saying the States has not determined any violation of international humanitarian law itself, and that it would continue “to do what we have to do to support Israel’s defensive capabilities”.
He added: “We’ll let other nations decide for themselves if they’re going to support Israel and to what degree. That’s what sovereignty is all about.” And in Starmer’s first major interview since being elected into No.10, the PM denied any diplomatic tensions.
Referring to Starmer’s upcoming trip to the White House, the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg said: “Now it’s no secret that your decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel has not gone down very well across the Atlantic. “It has not made the UK government very popular with its closest ally, the United States.” “You’re wrong about that,” Starmer said.
“So you’re saying the US agrees with it?” The presenter replied.
The PM claimed: “We’ve been talking to the US beforehand, and afterwards, and they’re very clear that they’ve got a different legal system and they understand the decision that we’ve taken.
“So, that’s very clear.”
The US is Israel’s largest ally, and has remained staunchly supportive of the country throughout its war in Gaza, against Palestinian militants Hamas.
Matt Miller, a spokesman for the US Department of State, said last week: “The US is not going to make an assessment under the UK standard. We will make our determination based on US law.”
He added: “[The UK government] had a legal framework that they needed to apply, they applied that legal framework and it led to this decision. It’s of course appropriate for them to make their own legal judgments based on their system and their laws.”
Starmer also told the BBC that his visit to the States is unrelated to the arms suspension.
He said: “The reason I’m actually going and having the visit is not about that at all. It’s because the situation in Ukraine is becoming ever more pressing, as is the situation in the Middle East.
“I’ve obviously had a number of discussions with President Biden, both in person and on the phone, and other allies – France, Germany, Italy, Nato allies, about the tactical decisions we have to make in relation to Ukraine and the Middle East.”
He said their actions have been coordinated so far, but he also wants “to have the opportunity for a more strategic discussion” about both wars.
Kuenssberg then asked if he was “relieved and excited” that US President Joe Biden had been replaced by his Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee ahead of the November elections in the US.
He dodged that question and said: “They’re our sister party and of course it’s really good to see the election developing as it is in the US.
“I’ll be very clear, as the prime minister of the United Kingdom, I’ll deal with whoever the American people elect in as their president.
“But I think it’s very important to remember, particularly for Ukraine and the Middle East, the next few weeks and months are critically important, and therefore it’s important for me to speak to President Biden to speak about our shared response, the response of our allies, to to the pressing immediate issues but also to the more strategic, long-term issues.”
Britain is back in the EU fold to tackle its key issues of safeguarding borders, security, and economic growth. The caravan will march on despite the heckles from the Reform Party, Nigel Farage, and a section of Tories … writes Anasudhin Azeez
Here is bad news for the Brexiteers. Whether you like it or not, Britain is limping back to its roots to become part of the greater European family. The recent European Political Community meeting at Blenheim Palace indicates the new Labour government’s intention to be part of the European family rather than stay isolated as “Little Britain” to address two key issues threatening its existence: security and immigration. With Donald Trump swinging the US electorate to regain the White House, it’s a valid reason for Europe to consider self-reliance on security.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer took the initiative to host the fourth meeting of the European Political Community at Blenheim Palace, a place steeped in the memories of Sir Winston Churchill, a controversial figure for the children of the empire but an inspiration for Europhiles. The meeting of the European Union leaders and representatives from the wider European Community is bad news for hardcore Brexiteers like Nigel Farage and Rishi Sunak. However, they fail to recognise the ground realities regarding the broader issues of security and immigration plaguing the United Kingdom.
The meeting was held at the Palace in a cordial atmosphere. They discussed the economy, security, and immigration. However, the elephant in the room was President Trump and his resurgent MAGA campaign. Trump is now supported by charismatic Yale graduate J.D. Vance. The meeting discussed a scenario: if America suddenly tires of helping defend Europe and Russia strikes, then what? If Trump wins, it will be a 12-year reign of Trumpism. Vance is Trump’s heir apparent, and a sitting president has many advantages to retain power, provided he does not falter on security and the economy.
Vance embodies a badge of the true American story that will resonate with Rust Belt voters. He believes the American elites betrayed communities like his. International trade, he says, is one of the culprits: American jobs being shipped to China while fentanyl is shipped back to America. Communities sent their children to die in Iraq and Afghanistan. He sees aid to Ukraine and NATO membership in the context of such exploitation: American taxpayers being bled to fight foreign wars or subsidize European military underspending. He led the campaign in the US Congress to halt the $61 billion Ukraine aid package. Although it failed, it caused fateful delays, allowing Russia to capture Avdiivka and force Ukrainian troops to retreat miles from the Donetsk region.
Trump accuses Zelensky of fleecing Americans. Vance accuses Europe of fleecing US taxpayers’ money to safeguard their backyards. Vance is practically a Mini-Me of Trump.
The changed equations in the US are prompting Europe to rethink its defence strategies. Only the United Kingdom and France can lead the Europeans in defending themselves; they are the only serious military powers in Europe. Here is an opportunity for Starmer to shape Europe’s post-Brexit defense policy. But is it a good idea to do this through the EU?
Britain wants to reset its relationship with the EU and wider Europe, as well as address international and global issues. Eighty years on from the D-Day landings and the Liberation of France, the leaders remembered the immense common sacrifices both countries have made to defend their shared values and protect their societies. As fellow members of the G7, G20, NATO, and permanent members of the UN Security Council, the UK and France continue to work together to provide global leadership in an era of renewed geopolitical instability.
They are now committed to continuing to invest in the European Political Community format to bring together Europe’s democracies and contribute to regional stability and security through political dialogue and concrete cooperation.
“We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future,” said Starmer before the summit. “That is why European security will be at the forefront of this government’s foreign and defence priorities, and why I am focused on seizing this moment to renew our relationship with Europe.
“The European Political Community will fire the starting gun on this government’s new approach to Europe, one that will not just benefit us now, but for generations to come, from dismantling the people-smuggling webs trafficking people across Europe to standing up to Putin’s barbaric actions in Ukraine and destabilizing activity across Europe.”
Britain is back in the EU fold to tackle its key issues of safeguarding borders, security, and economic growth. The caravan will march on despite the heckles from the Reform Party, Nigel Farage, and a section of Tories.
This year’s elections saw 89 MPs elected belonging to ethnic minorities, but only 3 have been appointed to cabinet positions…reports Asian Lite News
The UK poll results are historic – not only because the Conservatives were dethroned after 14 years of power – but also because this election saw the largest number of women MPs and those of Indian origin being elected to the House of Commons.
Out of the 650 seats in parliament, 264 will be held by women as opposed to 220 in the last elections in 2019. Similarly, 26 MPs in the newly elected parliament are of Indian origin, up from 15 in 2019.
Keir Starmer’s cabinet is looking at a record number of women in cabinet positions. Labour politician and economist Rachel Reeves has been appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer, the first female to hold the coveted post.
Calling it an “honour” and “historic responsibility”, Reeves posted on social media platform ‘X’ that “To every young girl and woman reading this, let today show that there should be no limits on your ambitions”.
Lisa Nandy, of Indian descent, has been named the country’s culture secretary. Nandy previously served as international development and shadow housing minister. It is noteworthy as in the last Labour government, a decade and a half ago, Nandy was one of the first Asian female MPs, and the first woman to win from Wigan.
This year’s elections saw 89 MPs elected belonging to ethnic minorities, but only 3 have been appointed to cabinet positions.
Out of the 26 MPs of Indian origin, six belong to the Conservative party, namely, outgoing PM Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman, Priti Patel, Claire Coutinho, Shivani Raja, and Gagan Mohindra.
The Labour Party who emerged victorious in the elections also brought in the maximum number of Indian-origin MPs to the house. While seasoned politicians like Seema Malhotra, Valerie Vaz, and Lisa Nandy held on to their seats, newcomers, too, won popular support.
Jas Athwal, Baggy Shanker, Satvir Kaur, Harpreet Uppal, Warinder Juss, Gurinder Josan, Kanishka Narayan, Sonia Kumar, Sureena Brackenbridge, Kirith Entwistle, Jeevun Sandher and Sojan Joseph are the first-time MPs.
Twelve winners from Labour belong to the Sikh community and 6 are women. Preet Kaur Gill and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi are among the winners.
This election also saw politicians, even those of non-Indian descent, visiting places of worship frequented by Indians. Keir Starmer visited the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury, just a week before the elections.
In 2023, Indians were the largest group of immigrants in the UK emigrating for work and study. India has been “the most common country of birth for migrants in the UK,” according to a UK survey.
The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment…reports Asian Lite News
The United States, Britain and Canada accused Russia on Thursday of carrying out a plot to sway the outcome of the Moldovan presidential election in October and incite protests if a pro-Moscow candidate should lose.
Russia is working to exacerbate societal tensions and foment negative perceptions of the West and the incumbent team of Moldova’s pro-Western President Maia Sandu through disinformation and online propaganda, they said in a statement issued by the State Department in Washington.
“We are taking this step to warn our democratic partners and allies that Russian actors are carrying out a plot to influence the outcomes of Moldova’s fall 2024 presidential election,” they said.
The plot, they said, is part of wider attempts by Moscow to subvert democratic elections to “secure results favorable to the Kremlin.”
The threat is especially relevant this year as hundreds of million of voters in Europe and North America cast ballots in national, regional and local elections, the statement said.
The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said on social media platform X that he was grateful for support from the three allies and vowed that the “Kremlin’s attempts to undermine our sovereignty and incite unrest will not succeed.”
Moldova, a former Soviet republic of 2.5 million people, has fiercely condemned Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, accused Moscow of plotting the Moldovan government’s overthrow and expelled Russian diplomats.
Russia, the allies said, is backing presidential candidates in Moldova and unidentified pro-Russia actors are “actively using disinformation and propaganda online, on the air and on the streets to further their objectives.”
These actors are fanning criticism of Sandu and her Party of Action and Solidarity to incite protests and plan to spread lies about her character and “supposed electoral irregularities.”
The allies issued the statement a day after the United States imposed sanctions on Evgenia Gutul, the pro-Russia governor of Moldova’s Gagauzia region.
Gutul faces criminal allegations of channelling funds from Russia to finance the now-banned Shor Party set up by Ilan Shor, an exiled pro-Russia businessman convicted of fraud in Moldova.
She denies the allegations as fabricated.
During a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Chisinau last month, Sandu accused the Kremlin of using criminal groups in Gagauzia to bring in Russian money to finance de-stabilizing activities and attempts “to bribe the elections.”
In the joint statement, the allies said they shared Sandu’s concerns that the Kremlin is using criminal groups to finance political activities.
Moscow’s political interference, they said, dates back years, and they cited as an example “direct support” that employees of Russia’s state-funded RT media network have provided to Shor.
On the economic front, the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) also welcomed the sense of stability and continuity the general election results have delivered for the business and industry…reports Asian Lite News
As the results of India’s mammoth general election were tallied on Tuesday, the overwhelming theme among UK-based strategic experts and poll watchers was one of high praise for the country’s “thriving and flourishing” democratic process.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party is on course for a historic third term, the strong performance of the Opposition INDIA alliance and other regional parties was a theme that stood out for most.
On the India-UK front, the July 4 UK general elections are expected to fully set the future course for bilateral relations, resulting in a few new sets of factors playing out amid a broad sense of continuity.
“There were initial concerns over the electoral process in India and these concerns have now been overcome by the results that we’ve seen – that there is a thriving and flourishing electoral democratic process in India,” said Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, Senior Fellow for South and Central Asian Defence, Strategy and Diplomacy at the London-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said.
“Within the Indian political setup, the Opposition parties have done better than anyone expected, and they will provide a strong Opposition to the Modi 3.0 government. In bilateral terms, this means there will be more attempts at checks and balances on India’s foreign policy, including in relation to the UK,” he said.
“So, what we have today is a relatively new set of factors that will be influential and impactful in determining the relationship between India and the UK, though we’ll have to see what patterns and decision-making structures take place on the UK side after the fourth of July,” he noted.
A key aspect to be watched under the two newly elected governments would be the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA), which the strategic expert believes will be on the top of the in-trays for both amid a “large degree of continuity” for the wider Indo-Pacific region.
“The FTA has been negotiated intensely, with over 14 rounds of negotiation, and that is very close to being concluded. But, of course, the Indian elections meant it has not been able to and now we’ve got the elections over here in the UK in exactly a month’s time.
“But once those elections are over, hopefully that free trade agreement will be concluded,” said Lord Karan Bilimoria, Founder of Cobra Beer, who has just returned from an India visit in his capacity as Chancellor of the University of Birmingham said.
“An FTA will be good news for UK-India trade which has been increasing in a very healthy manner and is now almost 40 billion pounds a year, doing well but should be much higher than that – more than double that figure. India’s special relationship with the UK means we have a lot to look forward to in increasing bilateral trade, business and investment both ways,” he said.
On the economic front, the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) also welcomed the sense of stability and continuity the general election results have delivered for the business and industry.
“Businesses like the continuity, they like the stability, but they are not looking for things to remain static in India. They want and they expect change. And Mr Modi talks about ‘reform, perform and transform’ and businesses are looking forward to that transformation as India continues its journey towards being a developed nation by 2047,” UKIBC Managing Director Kevin McCole said.
“On trade specifically, there is a stated objective to conclude the UK-India FTA negotiations within those first 100 days. Now, the fact that the UK government will re-form early in July means the first 30 days of that might not be accessible, but certainly within that period – July, August, September – hopefully UK and India negotiators could get back around the table and be able to accelerate and complete those FTA negotiations, maybe by Diwali this year,” he said, alluding to the missed Diwali 2022 deadline set by the Boris Johnson led government.
Siddharth Shankar, UK-based CEO of consumer brands company Tails Group Plc which works within the India-UK corridor, described the Indian general election results as a “significant milestone” that heralds a new era of robust economic growth and dynamic international relations.
“For Indian industry, Modi’s victory ensures continuity in the implementation of policies like Make in India, Digital India, and Startup India, which are pivotal in fostering innovation, enhancing productivity, and attracting foreign investment.
“His government’s focus on ease of doing business, coupled with significant tax reforms, is poised to create a conducive environment for both established companies and emerging enterprises, driving sustainable economic growth and job creation,” he said.
“Furthermore, Modi’s re-election is a positive development for UK-India relations. With a renewed mandate, there is potential for deepening trade ties, expanding investment opportunities, and strengthening bilateral cooperation in key sectors such as technology, education, and healthcare,” he added.
Russia’s prison service said that Navalny, 47, fell unconscious and died on Friday after a walk at the Arctic penal colony where he was detained…reports Asian Lite News
Britain will take action over the death in prison of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and it is calling on other countries to do likewise, British foreign minister David Cameron said on Saturday.
“There should be consequences when appalling human rights outrages like this take place,” Cameron told Sky News.
“What we do is we look at whether there are individual people that are responsible and whether there are individual actions that we can take.”
Russia’s prison service said that Navalny, 47, fell unconscious and died on Friday after a walk at the Arctic penal colony where he was detained. Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh on Saturday confirmed his death, citing an official notice given to his mother, Lydumila.
Western leaders and officials have expressed outrage over the death of Navalny, the most prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the reaction unacceptable on Friday.
Russia said on Saturday that it was unacceptable for Britain to interfere in its internal affairs after London told a top embassy official that it held Russian authorities responsible for Navalny’s death.
Russia said a diplomat from the embassy had been “invited” to a conversation at the Foreign Office.
The British government said on Friday it was summoning an official from the Russian embassy to make clear it held Russian authorities “fully responsible” for the death.
Cameron declined to give details about possible action and said he would raise the issue with his counterparts from Group of Seven countries and other nations at an annual meeting of defense and diplomatic officials taking place in Munich.
“We will have the discussions with them. I am clear we will be taking action and I would urge others to do the same,” he said.
Meanwhile, Russian police have detained more than 100 people at spontaneous memorials for deceased opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the OVD-Info rights group said Saturday.
The 47-year-old Kremlin critic was serving a 19-year prison sentence in the Arctic when authorities announced his death, prompting grief among his supporters.
People were seen gathering to place flowers at makeshift monuments across Russia late Friday, and in some cases were detained by police, social media footage showed.
As of February 17, “more than 101 people” had already been detained in 10 cities, including 64 in Russia’s second largest city of Saint Petersburg, OVD-Info said.
Eleven people were detained in the capital Moscow, and multiple others in the cities of Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don and Tver, it added.
Protests are illegal in Russia under strict anti-dissent laws, and authorities have clamped down particularly harshly on rallies in support of Navalny.
Authorities in the Russian capital said Friday they were aware of calls online “to take part in a mass rally in the center of Moscow” and warned people against attending.
Britain has a historical responsibility to push for a solution. The British government was the first major power that recognised the Zionists’ claim to the land of Ottoman Palestine…reports Asian Lite News
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s remarks that the United Kingdom is considering recognising the Palestine state signals a change in the thinking of at least a section of the British government towards the Palestine question after the Israel-Hamas war of October 7.
The comment triggered criticism within Conservative Party circles, with Downing Street stating later that the British government’s policy towards the issue had not changed. Yet, the debate, which included reports in the American media that the State Department is reviewing options for possible recognition of the Palestine state, suggests that the Palestine question is back at the centre of the political parleys of the major powers.
Before October 7, Israel, its Arab partners and western allies thought they could ignore the Palestine question and go ahead building a new West Asia. Hamas attacks and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza show that finding a solution to the Palestine question is an imperative for peace and stability in a strife-stricken West Asia.
And, one of the globally recognised and practical pathways to peace is a two-state solution — a viable, independent, sovereign Palestine state created with international recognition.
Britain has a historical responsibility to push for a solution. The British government was the first major power that recognised the Zionists’ claim to the land of Ottoman Palestine.
In 1917, during the First World War, the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, supporting the creation of “a homeland” for the Jewish people “in Palestine”. The declaration gave a major boost to the Zionist movement, promoting Jewish migration from Europe and the building of settlement communities in historical Palestine (Ottoman and British), culminating in the creation of Israel in 1948.
At least from the Oslo process of the early 1990s, there were multiple diplomatic attempts in finding a mutually acceptable two-state solution, but which were futile as Palestine remained under occupation.
Today, there are roughly 7,00,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem; and Gaza is being destroyed by Israel. Israeli leaders, including Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly rejected the two-state solution, while the far-right settlers are pushing for the control of the whole of Palestinian territories.
This is an unsustainable scenario, producing cycles of violence and instability. The two-state proposal is already on its deathbed, given the mushrooming of settlements, growing violence, and the rise of far-right extremists in Israel and Islamist militants in Palestinian territories.
If the British government realises its historical responsibility, does a reality check of its current policy and becomes ready to offer a political horizon to the Palestinians, it would be a welcome step.
The UK is among those continuing to argue that a two-state solution is the only viable long-term solution to the conflict. But such a proposal faces fierce resistance from Netanyahu and members of his government. The Israeli prime minister has called for “full Israeli security control over the entire area in the west of Jordan,” a move he made clear is “contrary to a Palestinian state.”
The UK government has previously said only that it will “recognize a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace” and has rejected calls from British lawmakers to go further.
Britain, the US and other Western countries have supported the idea of an independent Palestine existing alongside Israel as a solution to the region’s most intractable conflict, but have said Palestinian independence should come as part of a negotiated settlement. There have been no substantive negotiations since 2009.
Speaking to the Conservative Middle East Council at the House of Commons, Cameron said such recognition – after Hamas releases all hostages – would represent “irreversible progress to a two-state solution and, crucially, the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
“We have a responsibility there because we should be starting to set out what a Palestinian state would look like; what it would comprise; how it would work,” he said. “As that happens, we, with allies, will look at the issue of recognizing a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations. This could be one of the things that helps to make this process irreversible.”
The UK is pushing a five-point plan that would see an end to the fighting, the release of hostages held in Gaza, a “political horizon” for a two-state solution, and a technocratic Palestinian government that would run both Gaza and the West Bank.
It would necessitate Hamas leaders being expelled to another country, a move they have rejected.
The creation of Israel and the subsequent Arab-Israeli war of 1948 saw many Palestinians forced from their homes, in what is known as the Nakba, or “catastrophe” in English.
As such, the UN gave around 750,000 people refugee status, defined as people “whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict”.
The Russian diplomat further stressed that such a move would not strengthen the U.S. security, nor would it strengthen the security of Britain….reports Asian Lite News
A potential return of U.S. nuclear weapons to Britain would be a dangerous step, which could only undermine the European security, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Tuesday.
The statement came amid media reports that the United States is planning to place nuclear weapons in Britain for the first time in 15 years in response to an alleged threat from Russia.
“Regarding the topic of the hypothetical return of American tactical nuclear weapons to the British territory, I would like to warn in the most definite and strict way against this destabilizing step,” Ryabkov said.
The Russian diplomat further stressed that such a move would not strengthen the U.S. security, nor would it strengthen the security of Britain.
He said that this would “increase the overall level of escalation” and pose a threat to the European security.
Moscow has its own ways to monitor what is happening in order to draw appropriate conclusions, Ryabkov said.
“We would like to warn NATO … against further escalation, which is becoming increasingly dangerous,” he said.
Nuclear missiles, once stationed at RAF Lakenheath and withdrawn in 2008 amid reduced Cold War tensions, could potentially return, according to Pentagon documents obtained by The Guardian.
The UK Ministry of Defence said it maintains a longstanding policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons at specific sites, in line with UK and NATO practices.